


Prompto and Uncle Ardyn's Road Trip

by MeganRosenberg



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Abuse, Adventure, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Ardyn Izunia Being An Asshole, Ardyn Izunia Redemption, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Brotherhood, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Bonding, Bruises, Canon-Typical Violence, Choking, Daemons, Danger, Dissociation, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Fear, Fear of Death, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Guilt, Hurt, Hurt Prompto Argentum, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Injury, Kidnapping, Medical Examination, Nightmares, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Graphic Violence, POV Ardyn Izunia, POV Prompto Argentum, Pain, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Prompto Argentum Needs a Hug, Protective Ardyn Izunia, Protective Noctis Lucis Caelum, Protectiveness, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sexual Assault, Teen Noctis Lucis Caelum, Teen Prompto Argentum, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Threats of Violence, Travel, Uncle Ardyn Izunia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:40:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 20
Words: 99,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27424372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeganRosenberg/pseuds/MeganRosenberg
Summary: While stalking teenage Noctis in Insomnia, Ardyn accidentally notices the prince's young friend Prompto and decides to kidnap him to bring him to Verstael. Prompto attempts escape at every chance during the trip to meet his maker, angering Ardyn who has very little patience and a rather sadistic outlook on the situation.  Over the span of the trip, Ardyn is surprised to find himself developing a sort of empathy and care towards the boy, while Prompto begins to wonder if Ardyn might not be as bad of a person as he claims to be.
Comments: 139
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: Here I go turning a problematic villain into a protective, paternal-figure again... It's going to take a while for him to get there... and he's going to do some really horrible things along the way, but Ardyn's going to eventually almost be a good guy in this... at least toward the end... There will be ups and downs for sure... And again, he's going to do horrible things before he ever even thinks about being decent... Slowly but surely he's going to become protective of his little captive.
> 
> Noctis is listed as a character but doesn't appear until near the end of this 20-chapter story. He is mentioned and thought about by Prompto a lot though along the way. 
> 
> Most chapters are told in either Prompto's or Ardyn's point of view... and I wanted Ardyn to get to play the protective father-figure a little (while also still being a horrible person...) but needed a different villain in order to do that - so Verstael made sense. I'm not sure there've been many creepy, predatory takes on Verstael, so hopefully it doesn't seem out of character for him. I think anyone who would clone himself and treat the actual human beings he's created as the MTs were treated could realistically be a horrible creepy pervert... So don't hate me if you never pictured Verstael as a nasty creep... Because he's a nasty creep in this.
> 
> Oh... Also, the events in this would severely alter the plot of the game. This happens five years before the game and I don't go further to try to explain how things would be different because of everything that happens in this story. You can think about it if you want, but I didn't want to go that far. I'd imagine Ardyn might feel different about a lot of stuff that happens in the canon plot after this...

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Chapter 1

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When he started following the movements of the young Lucian prince, Ardyn never dreamed the boy's seemingly insignificant, unremarkable little friend would end up catching his eye instead. It took a few weeks of following the prince from a distance to slowly edge closer and closer, close enough to realize his energetic, overly cheerful friend looked awfully familiar, awfully out of place considering Ardyn knew exactly where the boy should be.

It wasn't his intent to shift his focus onto the friend, to make it his personal project to reunite the boy with the man who created him… But here he was, doing just that. The prince was all but forgotten to him now - for the time being at least.

Now all he could think about was the chipper little blonde boy, jogging around the city waving to strangers, stopping to pet stray dogs, smiling in awe at each of the little creatures like he'd never seen one before. The child spent his time living a life he never should have had, taking photos, laughing and making faces when he took one of himself, playing video games, drinking milkshakes - all things he had no right to enjoy.

For some reason, the thought of bringing the boy back to whom he belonged was thrilling to Ardyn. Seeing the child so happy and carefree, knowing he had the power to take that all away… He reveled in it. He knew his old friend Verstael would be interested that the one that got away was thriving out in the world, living a life, laughing, having fun, making friends. The man would be interested in making sure to put a stop to that… and picturing this naive, foolish young boy suffering for the mere circumstance under which he entered this world felt right.

This child didn't deserve to be so oblivious, so happy, so normal. He didn't deserve to skip merrily around with the prince, feeding ducks at the park, going to fucking school. He wasn't created to live an actual life, to be sheltered, protected, and loved. He deserved to suffer. He was made to suffer. To be used. He was never meant to be an individual, with thoughts, feelings, meaningful relationships. He had a purpose, and it sure as hell wasn't this.

Stalking the pair had been painfully easy. Since Ardyn had the ability to alter his appearance to suit the situation, neither the prince nor his little friend had ever noticed they were being followed, even after Ardyn followed them almost everywhere for weeks. They never even suspected. Ardyn looked like a different person each time. A fellow teenager at the arcade, an unassuming old man feeding birds at the park… Ardyn even posed as one of their teachers one day. He managed to have a full conversation with both boys without them ever knowing anything was amiss.

Now he was at the blonde boy's residence, standing outside his window. Watching him calmly, quietly. Prompto is what the prince had called him. Prompto Argentum - not the name his creator had given him for sure. In fact Ardyn was fairly certain Verstael never gave them names. Only numbers. They weren't people. They were specimens, property… nothing but pawns - pieces to be used in an elaborate real-life chess game.

Verstael had so many others just like this boy, but in a lab, dormant, being actively programmed to serve their creator. They certainly weren't out living lives, going to school, making friends… They weren't lying on their backs with their feet up against the wall, on a little twin-sized bed, scrolling through countless photos of an actual life they were in the middle of.

Yet this one was. He had escaped, not on his own of course. He was stolen, by Ardyn knew not who, and now he was here, not in the lab fulfilling his purpose… Not being set up to work as a mindless pawn… He had become an individual person, with friends, hobbies, emotions, dreams… He was living a whole life here in Insomnia… It was the exact opposite of what he was created for.

Ardyn was fairly sure Verstael would be interested to know about that. The man might even be legitimately angry that his escapee was living such a comfortable life. The boy was positively oblivious to his own origins. He didn't know he wasn't meant to have friends, a bed, personalized clothing and possessions. He wasn't meant to be a person.

Ardyn couldn't lie to himself here… He really didn't need to return the boy to his master. Verstael would be fine without this one. He had so many others and likely accepted years ago that this one was gone… Prompto could stay here, continue living his life, and didn't ever really have to know where he came from. Ardyn didn't HAVE to tear him away from his life and bring him what would surely be endless pain and distress… But Ardyn had grown quite cold over the years. He not only didn't often care about the suffering of others, but actually enjoyed it. He wanted to see this young man - this sheltered, warm, cozy, loved boy - feel pain, feel worthless, frightened. Ardyn's life hadn't worked out… Why should this child's be any different? Why should Prompto get to live a good life, oblivious to his dark origins?

So tonight was to be the night that Ardyn swooped in and took the boy back. He belonged to Ardyn's old friend… not these Insomnian adoptive parents… these parents who Ardyn noticed never seemed to be around for the boy anyway. In fact, they might not even notice the child was gone for a while. In all the time Ardyn had been lingering, watching, waiting… he hadn't seen the parents even once… It was kind of sad for the boy's sake, but would make Ardyn's job all the easier.

All he'd have to do was break into the back door - or the front. Neither was secured, and neither was locked. The boy, while a bit jumpy and on-edge, didn't seem worried enough for that… Not that it would have stopped Ardyn anyway. Then he'd drug the boy with a sedative he'd soak into a cloth and hold over his mouth and nose - it would take a few minutes, but he'd be out for a while after. From there, he'd carry Prompto to his car, toss the boy in the back seat, and head out.

The trip to Verstael's temporary lab - secretly hidden out in the plains - would take but a few days. If the boy cooperated, he could sit up front in the car… If he didn't, Ardyn would just keep him tied up in the trunk and drug him again each time he woke back up. It was going to be easy.

Walking up the back steps and opening the door, Ardyn began to whistle softly, certain if anything, the strange noise would draw the boy out. He'd be more curious than scared… Never one to do much of anything without making a bit of a show out of it, Ardyn didn't necessarily want to catch the child wholly by surprise. He wanted Prompto to see him, to know he was in trouble before Ardyn ever laid hands on him.

As he walked, Ardyn took a small bottle out of his coat. It contained the sleeping agent he was planning to drug the boy with. With his other hand, he produced a small cloth, covering it in the potent liquid. He continued whistling as he made his way toward his target's bed room.

Sure enough, the sound of his whistling, perhaps his footsteps as well, caught Prompto's attention. As Ardyn neared the bedroom door, the boy approached from the other side, slowly opening the door and letting out a small breath as he froze in his tracks in the doorway, staring with wide eyes back at Ardyn. Prompto's mouth hung open slightly as he continued staring, clearly at a loss for words.

Ardyn couldn't help but to chuckle as he tucked the unused portion of his sleeping potion back into his coat and then spread his arms. "What, no questions, my dear Prompto?" He laughed. "You're fine welcoming me into your home then?"

Prompto swallowed and took a step back, shaking his head slightly. "Wh-what are you doing? D-do I know you?" He breathed.

Ardyn smirked. "No… I don't see how you could. But I know you… in a way. Perhaps better than you know yourself."

"What?" The boy furrowed his brow and stuck his lip out in a slight pout. "What are you talking about? You know me? Who are you?" Prompto frowned, stepping back again as Ardyn stepped forward, cornering the boy back into his bed room.

"I suppose you could say I'm like a long lost uncle." Ardyn shrugged. He kind of was… a friend of what was more or less the boy's father… Uncle seemed an appropriate title here. "We'll be spending a bit of time together during the next few days, and I'm a friend of the family, so to speak. So you may call me Uncle if you'd like. It's fitting."

Prompto's eyebrows rose in curiosity. "Friend of the family? Y-you know my parents?" He asked, his eyes wide and hopeful. The initial fear all but melted away for the moment. The poor boy had no idea Ardyn had sinister intentions. It was so naive of the young man that it actually made Ardyn want to grab him by the shoulders and shake him, to ask him if anyone had ever taught him not to trust any random strange man who said he knew his parents. Why was this child so stupidly trusting so quickly? How gullible was he?

"I don't know these people, no…" Ardyn laughed, gesturing around the room. "Not the ones you're living with now…"

Prompto swallowed nervously, sticking his lower lip out in a pout again. It made him look so young… like a spoiled little child. A brat.

"You do know you're not from here?" Ardyn raised an eyebrow. "These people aren't your parents. You know that, right?"

"I…" Prompto paused, looking down for a moment, then looking back up and biting his lower lip slightly. "I don't really know… I mean…" He trailed off.

"I know where you're from. Your biological family? I can take you to him." Ardyn offered, wondering if he could paint a pretty enough picture to get a bit of cooperation out of the boy. He hadn't planned on doing any persuasion, but he supposed it couldn't hurt. A part of him figured it would be satisfying to manipulate the boy in that way, to gain his trust rather than forcing this.

Prompto immediately frowned. The naive hopefulness that filled his eyes only moments before was gone now. "I don't believe you…" He shook his head, shrinking back slightly. "You need to leave… Or… Or I'll scream… Someone will hear, and-"

"Awww, come on now… You're going to scream? Like a frightened little boy? You're nearly a man, child. Don't be so immature... I'm offering you something huge." Ardyn went on. "I know where you come from. I can answer all of your burning questions. You only have to come with me. You won't regret it."

Prompto shook his head. "Please leave…" He whispered, quite clearly nervous, scared, knowing he was in no position to be making demands.

"Don't be rude to your Uncle Ardyn… Be a good boy and come with me, and I'll take you back where you came from." Ardyn smiled, holding his hand out, genuinely wondering if he could convince the boy to come willingly now. The offer had to be tempting, no matter how strange it was. Prompto knew he wasn't living with his real parents. He knew there was something different about him. He had to be curious.

Prompto hesitated. He was definitely intrigued. It was clear by the longing look in Prompto's eyes that the boy felt a desperate need to know where he really came from. But he clearly didn't trust Ardyn - which was of course wise for his sake… but it wouldn't do him any good. Ardyn was taking him to Verstael with or without his cooperation… And Verstael wouldn't have anything even remotely pleasant in store for the boy.

Prompto inhaled a small breath and stepped back again, shaking his head. His guard was going back up. The tiny twinge of curiosity and wishful thinking had for a moment convinced him this strange man walking into his house was okay, that Ardyn was an ally who would give him all the answers to every burning question he had about himself, about his past. But he was remembering now that the whole situation was wrong. That Ardyn shouldn't be here. That his intrusion was troubling, unacceptable, scary even.

"H-how did you get in? Who are you? Y-you can't possibly know anything about me..." Prompto frowned. "Why are you here?"

"As I said… You can refer to me as your uncle. Uncle Ardyn." Ardyn chuckled again. "As for how I got in... My boy, I got in through the unlocked door. Just walked in."

Prompto inhaled a small breath, looking past Ardyn's shoulder toward the hallway, as though he could somehow go back in time and lock the doors just by looking in their direction. It was obviously too late to be concerned about it now.

"You're lucky it was me and not someone who would hurt you." Ardyn narrowed his eyes, enjoying the nervous fear in the boy's eyes. He found it was easy and satisfying to make the young man uncomfortable, to scare him with mere words. "You should really lock your doors when you're home alone. Anyone could have come in… and you're home alone so often… How lucky you are that your dear old Uncle Ardyn was the one to waltz in instead of someone horrible and dangerous. What if someone wanted to rob you? To assault you, to rape you? Leaving your door unlocked, at night, when you're by yourself… young, small, untrained to fight back, vulnerable… It's practically an invitation."

Prompto's eyes widened as he took a small breath, crossing his arms over his chest, hugging them around himself as he shrunk down. The defensive gesture implied he may have taken Ardyn's comment as a threat. While Ardyn hadn't meant it as such, he wasn't necessarily opposed to the boy adding that fear onto his list - perhaps to help motivate him to comply later in what was to be a few days-long journey. Maybe if Prompto truly did think disobeying would lead to that, he'd do what Ardyn asked, make this easy, more enjoyable than tying the boy up and stowing him in the car's trunk for the whole trip.

"It would have been so easy, my dear." Ardyn continued, narrowing his eyes and smiling at the obvious discomfort in the boy's eyes as he listened to Ardyn talk about this. Prompto was an easy boy to read, in a way. He made his worst fears so obvious.

"I walked right in without you even knowing." Ardyn went on. "I made noise deliberately to call your attention, but what if I hadn't? What if I moved slowly, quietly… walked into your bed room while you were lying back on the bed, staring at that camera, not paying attention to the world around you… What if I pounced like a coeurl? Pinned you down, tore off your clothes and ravished you? I still could. You wouldn't be strong enough to fight me off. You wouldn't be able to stop me."

Prompto shook his head slightly as he continued staring with huge eyes, clearly increasingly fearful of the hypothetical scenario Ardyn was describing.

"I certainly won't do anything like that… Not if you cooperate. I'm a very kind and gentle person when I'm happy… and I'm happy when no one does anything to make my life difficult." Ardyn noted. "You coming along willingly would certainly make my job easier - so I won't have to do those terrible things to set you straight... I can take you toward answers you've likely been searching for for your whole life… So you'll know why you feel like an outsider… what that mark is on your arm..."

Prompto's eyes widened as he grabbed toward his wrist covering the barcode tattoo which he'd already hidden with a bracelet. The boy's lip trembled as he shook his head. "I don't believe what you're saying…" He whispered.

"I don't really need you to believe it." Ardyn smirked. "I'm not here to convince you of anything. I'm here to take you back with me. I'm only asking you to come willingly so I don't have to hurt you to achieve the same result. It'll all go so much more smoothly for both of us if you just cooperate. I will have to hurt you if you don't… I don't want to have to do that."

Shaking his head again, Prompto shrunk back slightly.

"Come along now. I'll take you back home." Ardyn offered, holding his hand out once more. "Let's allow this to go smoothly. Child… I don't want to have to hurt you. I really don't."

Ardyn took another step forward, as Prompto stepped back, colliding with the side of his bed and gasping a short breath as he stumbled, almost falling back onto the mattress.

Prompto shook his head. "I think you should leave…" He whispered. "I'm not interested in the answers you're offering… I have a life here… My biological family didn't keep me… I have a different family now… That's all I need... M-my parents will be back… um… in a while… maybe… Y-you can talk to them if-" He cut himself off with a small gasp and bit his lower lip as Ardyn stepped forward again.

"Your parents won't be back for a long while, my dear. You and I both know that. And this has nothing to do with them. This is about you. Are you coming with me on your own or will I have to hurt you?" Ardyn frowned. "I really don't like repeating myself."

Prompto glanced nervously toward the window, likely his idea of an escape route. The second he went for it, Ardyn was going to stop playing nice though. If he had to beat the poor kid to hell to get him out of here, he would.

"Come on then." Ardyn held his hand out again. "Don't make this difficult."

Prompto shrunk back and shook his head. "Please leave…" He whispered, his words tiny, shaky.

Ardyn glared. "You'll find the more you cooperate, the easier this will be."

"Yeah… Maybe for you…" Prompto pouted, glancing nervously toward the window again.

Ardyn couldn't help but to laugh, but quickly shook his head. "You'll only end up hurt if you don't come willingly." He paused for a moment, holding his hand out one last time - giving the boy one final chance.

Prompto shook his head again, stepping slightly toward the window, like he honestly thought he might be able to dodge out of it before Ardyn caught him.

"Fine." Ardyn stared, his impatience growing. He hadn't come here determined to convince the boy. It was an afterthought that he was even trying. He came with the intent of drugging and forcing the young man along. He was prepared to do it, and so he would. "We'll do it the hard way then. The painful way." He nodded, reaching out toward the boy and grabbing his arm.

Prompto gasped and yanked his arm back, but Ardyn only grabbed it harder, knowing bruises were going to line the boy's skin later where Ardyn's fingers were pressing down so forcefully now. He dragged the boy toward him, then pushed him back onto the bed, easily climbing on top of him, holding the boy's thighs down with his knees, and pressing the drug-soaked cloth down over his face.

"No! Please!" Prompto whimpered, trying to turn his face to the side as he pushed at Ardyn's chest with one hand and grabbed toward the man's arm with the other, trying to pull the cloth away from his mouth and nose.

Ardyn simply pressed down harder with the cloth, grabbing one of the boy's wrists with his other hand and pinning it down against the mattress. "Stop fighting me. You'll only hurt yourself." He demanded.

"No…" Prompto cried, trying and failing to turn his head as he squirmed under his attacker and pulled uselessly at his trapped arm. "Somebody help me! Hel-" He cut himself off with a breathless, muffled cough, squeezing his eyes shut and whimpering a pathetic, shaky noise.

"Breathe in, my dear. That's it… Calm breaths… It won't hurt you. It'll just make you sleep." Ardyn promised, his tone gentle and calm, though certainly not having a calming effect on his target.

"Please stop! Let me go… Please!" Prompto sobbed, his voice small and muffled as he shoved at Ardyn's chest. His begging dissolved into shaking, panicked whimpers as he let out another breathless cough, then reached toward the cloth again, trying and failing to pull it away from his face.

Ardyn laughed softly, honestly enjoying Prompto's struggles, his fear, his pathetic crying. He wondered what Prompto was thinking now. If he believed Ardyn at all… He wondered what Prompto's greatest fears in this moment were. Did he fear Ardyn would kill him? Did he believe that Ardyn really knew his biological family? Or did he think the man was kidnapping him for other reasons? To take him away to some dark basement somewhere, where he'd be tied up, beaten, raped, eventually killed… The boy was clearly terrified, but Ardyn wasn't sure of his entire list of fears. Maybe every possible dreadful scenario was going through his head.

"I can't breathe…" Prompto choked, trying to thrash his body under his attacker, but clearly growing weaker by the second. Ardyn barely even had to try to hold him down anymore, to keep the drug-soaked cloth over his face. Prompto was all but useless to himself at this point.

"You're still breathing, sweet boy… The air only seems heavy because it's putting you to sleep. You'll live. Stay calm…" Ardyn reassured him.

The young man's pleading didn't take long to turn into sniffling, panicked whimpers and moans as he continued fumbling with a shaking hand at Ardyn's arm and kicking out what little he could with his trapped legs. Ardyn had had to put most of his weight on top of the boy's body to pin him down initially. It probably hurt quite a bit.

"Shhh…" Ardyn cooed, pressing his hand down harder, making sure the cloth was right up against the boy's nose, making sure he got a good, strong dose as he let go of the child's wrist and opted to pet his hand gently against his hair instead. "Don't fight me. You're okay." He promised. "You're alright."

Prompto whimpered a weak noise as he tried to shake his head again. Ardyn could feel the boy's squirming struggles dying down as his eyelids started to look heavy. What was already a weak attempt at escape was growing all the weaker as the sleeping potion slowly did its job.

"That's it. Go to sleep…" Ardyn spoke, moving his hand down over the boy's chest, rubbing lightly as he watched his target failing in his struggle to keep his eyes open.

Ardyn waited for about a minute after the boy seemed to have fully passed out before moving the cloth away from his face and standing himself back up. With a soft exhale, Ardyn ran his hands down over his own clothing, straightening the wrinkles created during the struggle. Though Prompto was fairly easy to take down, he had put up a good fight. Considering his small frame and the fact that he was merely fifteen years old, he'd fought pretty hard.

Cocking his head to the side, Ardyn looked down at the boy, now limp, unconscious lying mostly on his bed, with his legs dangling over the edge. His hair was now matted with sweat, stuck against his forehead. Tear streaks were visible on his cheeks, and at some point during the struggle he'd managed to split his lip. A dribble of blood had made its way partially down his chin. Ardyn wasn't even sure if he did that by being too rough, or if the boy had accidentally bitten his own lip while screaming and struggling with Ardyn's hand clamped down over his mouth.

Ardyn exhaled, stuffing the drug-soaked cloth back into his pocket. He supposed he might use it again later if the boy got too annoying during the trip. If this interaction was any indication, the poor kid might not understand the value of cooperation. Ardyn might very well have to drug him again to keep himself from having to seriously hurt the boy.

Ardyn frowned, running his fingertip over Prompto's wrinkled shirt sleeve. The boy had likely washed and dried the shirt himself, incorrectly. No one had ironed it, but someone should have. He was fifteen, so not exactly a tiny child who needed constant care, but still could have benefited from a parent or someone showing him how to exist without being a messy little disaster.

Prompto's present ensemble would likely make Verstael all the more annoyed by him. He wore a white dress shirt, part of a school uniform, along with corresponding slacks. The tie that went along with it was loosely hanging around his neck - improperly tied, and he had removed his shoes and jacket upon arriving home.

The boy was fifteen - edging closer to technical adulthood, but still so young. His features, though similar to a younger Verstael, were softer, more innocent. He was attractive, physically fit, but still so small. His features were still so boyish, so sweet… He looked like someone any good parent or friend would want to protect, to love. But Verstael didn't create him to be protected and cared for.

The fact that he was wearing the school uniform, that his tie was improperly tied, loosely hanging down like he didn't know how to tie it and didn't bother attempting to learn made him appear even younger, even more innocent… Something most of the world would agree was precious and worthy of protection. Ardyn assumed Verstael would quite likely be annoyed by it - by the fact that one of his clones ended up so soft, so protected, like he was just a regular person, a sweet young child loved and cherished by those around him. Verstael would want to hurt him. Maybe he'd deserve it - to face some pain for once in his life… to suffer like everyone else in the world did.

Shaking his head, feeling annoyed himself at how easy this young man had had it thus far, Ardyn bent down and lifted him rather roughly into his arms. This child was going to get exactly what he deserved once Verstael got a hold of him. No more free rides. No more cozy bed, mommy and daddy, best friend, camera, school uniform… The boy was certainly in for a rude awakening.

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	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

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Groaning softly and exhaling a small breath as his eyelids fluttered open, Prompto brought his fingertips up toward his temple. He squeezed his eyes closed again. Everything was so bright… He couldn't remember what happened, why he felt so tired, why he felt like he was moving, like there was wind blowing past him. Was he in his bed? Was he dreaming? Was it daytime? Was he outside?

He forced his eyes open again, blinking and staring up at what looked to be the sky. It was sunny out… Morning it seemed… but he didn't understand why he was waking up with the sky above him rather than the ceiling of his room.

Prompto frowned as he blinked a few times. He wasn't just lying down on the ground somewhere. He was moving - or rather, he was lying on something that was moving. He definitely was… Glancing to the side, Prompto saw what looked like a leather seat of some kind… like in a car… He was in the back seat, it seemed. But whose car? What had happened?

Inhaling a small breath as he thought back to the previous night, Prompto bit his lip and furrowed his brow. He was in trouble… He remembered now what had happened. What had felt like a weird dream wasn't a dream at all. It was real… He remembered it all now... The strange man breaking into his house, calling himself Ardyn, drugging Prompto… Now was he in the man's car? Where was he being taken?

With a trembling lip, Prompto looked around the back seat, down at himself. He wasn't even wearing shoes… Just his school uniform, minus his jacket, with only socks on his feet. He felt tears stinging his eyes. What was going to happen? What was this guy's deal? Who was he? What was he going to do? Was Prompto going to end up hurt? Dead? Would he ever see his home again? Would he ever see Noctis again?

The man had said something about knowing where Prompto came from, knowing his biological family… knowing why Prompto had a bar-code mark on his arm… He knew more about Prompto's situation than he should have. It made him seem more credible that he knew Prompto wasn't living with his real family, that he knew about the bar code tattoo that Prompto always kept covered. Even so, it was of course alarming that the man violently kidnapped him. If Ardyn knew his family, why not have the family come to him rather than forcefully dragging Prompto to them?

So was it true what Ardyn said? Did he really know Prompto's real family? His parents? Was this man taking him toward answers to questions which had been burning in Prompto's mind his whole life? Then what? What would it mean even if Prompto did get answers… that he'd live somewhere else now? With his real family? What about the family he'd made in Insomnia? His parents weren't exactly warm and loving, but he'd made such good friends with Noctis, was starting to make friends with people Noct associated with, Ignis and Gladio... He was making himself a family all on his own, slowly but surely. He didn't want to never see his friends again. Maybe getting answers about his past wasn't worth it...

Prompto also wasn't even sure answers would be at the end of this terrifying journey. He didn't know this man. He didn't know what he might do… Ardyn had threatened Prompto, with terrible, dreadful things… He mentioned rape… maybe implied that he'd do it… Was that only if Prompto didn't cooperate? If Ardyn was interested in doing that, he might do it no matter what Prompto did or didn't do. It wasn't like someone who would break into his house, drug, and kidnap him had any sort of morals… Why wouldn't the man hurt him like that if that's what he wanted to do?

Biting his lower lip, Prompto pushed himself up very slightly with his elbows so he could see up front better. He saw Ardyn's face in the rear view mirror. The man was focused on the road. He was just silently driving, and he must have been doing so for quite some time. It was dark outside when he had taken Prompto. They must have been driving for hours. Prompto was so far from home already.

Prompto leaned up further, trying to see outside of the car better, to judge how fast they were going. Maybe he could just jump out… The car had no top, even if the doors were locked, Prompto could still get out… But then what? He could run… Ardyn would just drive after him, catch him again… Unless there were houses or stores nearby... other cars... If Prompto could find help quickly, running might work.

"Ah… You're awake." Ardyn noted from the front seat as he applied the brakes and started pulling the car over toward the side of the road.

Prompto inhaled a small breath, feeling his eyes widen as he stared up at the rear-view mirror again, making brief eye contact with his captor, then looking toward the door on the passenger side. Perhaps he should make a run for it after all. What was Ardyn going to do to him if he didn't get away now? He was pulling over? For what? To come back to where Prompto was? To hurt him?

As soon as the vehicle had come to a complete stop, Prompto crawled across the seat and grabbed at the car's door handle, pulling, only to find that it was in fact locked. Rather than waste time searching for the lock mechanism, he opted to climb up over the door instead, only then realizing how wobbly his arms and legs were, how quickly out of breath he was becoming just from pulling himself up. Whatever Ardyn had drugged him with was still working its magic, weakening and slowing his movements.

Prompto let out a small, shaky whimper as he looked behind himself, at Ardyn opening the door on the opposite side, then quickly focused back on his escape. He knew already just from how difficult it was to even get his limbs moving that it wasn't going to work, but he'd already started… Ardyn was probably going to be angry with him already. He had to keep trying.

He heard the man let out an annoyed breath and felt hard hands grip around his upper arms as he was pulled rather roughly back into the car. Ardyn easily wrestled him down onto his back, climbing on top of him, pinning his legs down painfully with his knees like he had the previous night and gripping his wrists in a hard squeeze.

"No!" Prompto screamed, trying his best to thrash under the man's weight. Was he anywhere near any buildings? Any people? He had to scream... Just in case. "Help me!" He choked, noticing how breathless his words were, how painfully soft and raspy his voice was. "Please! Help!"

"Quiet, please..." Ardyn breathed, only squeezing his hands harder around Prompto's arms and somehow resting more weight on his thighs the more Prompto struggled. "Don't try to make a scene. No one will hear you. You'll only make me angry."

"Please…" Prompto whimpered, feeling his breaths were short, almost painful as tears welled up in his eyes. Ardyn was quite a bit bigger than him. The weight on his legs and the hands squeezed around his arms were starting to feel pretty painful. "Stop... Let me up... Please... You're hurting me." His voice trembled.

"Shhh… Don't cry, my dear…" Ardyn's voice was low, possibly an attempt at being calming as he opted to hold both of Prompto's wrists with one large hand and moved his other down to wipe a tear off of the boy's cheek.

Prompto shook his head, tugging weakly at his arms and trying to twist his body under the man. What was he going to do? Why pull over and come back here? He implied more than once last night that rape was a possibility. That if he did it, Prompto wouldn't be able to fight him off… that he wouldn't do it if Prompto did what he said… Prompto hadn't done what he said. He fought last night, and he tried to escape again just now.

Prompto coughed weakly, trying to sink further into the seat as he felt Ardyn's hand run down over his throat, gripping securely, but not squeezing. Was that what this was? Was Ardyn going to do what he'd threatened? Because Prompto was being difficult again. The boy shook his head, choking out a small sob. "Please don't hurt me..." He begged.

"Calm yourself." Ardyn whispered, his fingers moving lightly up and down over Prompto's throat. "Breathe in, and out… Calm down. There's nothing to panic over just yet."

"What are you gonna do to me?" Prompto whimpered, his voice breathless, shaky, fearful as he blinked through tears, staring up at his aggressor.

"Do to you?" Ardyn laughed smugly. "Sweet boy, I won't do anything to you. Not if you do as I say. What happens to you while you're under my watch is entirely within your control. I won't hurt you if you cooperate."

Prompto stuck his lower lip out in a pout. That was easier said than done. "Cooperate with what?" He whispered. He wasn't going to agree to cooperate not knowing what the man wanted.

He'd heard stories about men like this… Horrible, vile, dreadful men, who kidnapped young boys or girls… Even men and women… demanded that they do sexual things or get hurt. Prompto didn't want to agree to that. What if that's what the man wanted? What if that was what Prompto was going to be asked to cooperate with? Ardyn had already brought it up… Was that what he wanted?

"You have simply got to learn how to play by my rules." Ardyn noted, running his fingertips lightly over Prompto's throat as he leaned down closer. "I don't want this entire trip to be a struggle. Understand?"

"Please don't hurt me…" Prompto whispered, feeling himself shiver. He tugged uselessly at his arms again, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. He was still so exhausted. He tried again to twist his body, to thrash under his captor. "I don't want to play by your rules… I just want to go home!" He choked.

"Sweetheart, listen to my terms first at least." Ardyn chuckled softly, tightening his grip. "I won't be asking for much, and it won't hurt you. Nothing I ask of you will hurt."

Prompto shook his head, feeling tears stinging at his eyes. It was going to be exactly what he was fearing. He just knew it. "No… Let me go, please!" He sobbed. "I wanna go home! Please let me go!"

Ardyn's smug smirk quickly fell into a frown as his grip tightened further, not restricting Prompto's breathing, but getting close. "You need to learn your place with me, you brat." He breathed.

"No! Get off of me!" Prompto screamed, thrashing even more, putting all of his strength and effort into it now.

"Shut up." Ardyn growled, squeezing his hand threateningly around Prompto's throat.

Prompto whimpered a breathless noise, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to inhale. "Please…" He whispered. "Please stop… Le-let go… Please..." He couldn't breathe.

"Stop screaming. Stop fighting." Ardyn growled, loosening his grip slightly. "We need to set up some ground rules since we're going to be traveling together, dear boy. Are you ready to hear it? Or do I need to beat you into submission first?" Ardyn glared. "I'm not in the mood to be yelling over your screaming and crying. You will listen to me."

Prompto sniffed and stared back through unshed tears.

"I'll take that as a yes… Listen up now because I don't like repeating myself." Ardyn started, not moving to loosen his grip at all. "We discussed this last night, but I suppose it didn't sink in. Your cooperation means less pain for you. Less work for me."

Prompto swallowed, having no choice but to hear the man out. He clearly was in no condition to escape, so Ardyn was probably right - Prompto could cooperate and be hurt less, or fight the whole time and get hurt more. It certainly didn't feel pleasant being pinned under the man right now, his arms squeezed painfully together, the guy's hand wrapped threateningly around his throat… Maybe if Prompto hadn't tried to get out of the car, Ardyn wouldn't have grabbed him like this.

"You've no need to be fearful of me…" Ardyn continued. "Not if you cooperate. If you simply do as I ask, don't try to escape… I won't harm you. You can ride up front with me. We can chat. It'll be quite pleasant, really… All I ask of you is that you not run from me, don't try to sneak away or escape. No screaming or telling anyone I've taken you if we come across other people. Just come along with me, quietly, willingly… That's it. I won't ask you to do anything horrible."

Prompto swallowed. "You won't…" He hesitated, almost afraid to ask for confirmation, afraid to re-plant the seed in Ardyn's mind. "Y-you said last night… You said… about... um... rape…" He grimaced, whispering the word so small he could barely hear it himself. "You're not gonna make me… Like… You won't ask me to do anything like that, will you?"

Ardyn let out a soft laugh, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "Not unless you disobey me." He answered, moving his hand up over Prompto's cheek and narrowing his eyes as he stared down at him. "Just do as I ask, child. I don't want things to have to get graphic."

Staring with wide eyes and gulping nervously, Prompto inhaled and exhaled a shaking breath.

"Do we understand each other?" Ardyn smiled.

"Yes." Prompto spoke, his voice tiny, breathless. "Wh-where are you taking me though? I th- I think I just wanna go home… I know you said you know my real family… B-but I'm okay not knowing, just going back and not knowing… I don't care where I come from anymore…" Prompto whispered, shrinking down as he said it.

Ardyn laughed softly. "That's not up to you. You are coming with me. I'm giving you answers whether you want them or not, because this isn't only about you, dear child. It's about the man you come from. I promised him I'd bring you back. He's waiting."

Prompto felt his breath hitch in his throat. "Who is he?" He wondered in a small voice.

Ardyn shook his head. "No more questions. I need assurance that you'll cooperate… and you need a couple good threats of what will happen if you don't… Then I think we can put all the legal talk behind us and get on with our journey. So you stick by me, do as I ask, don't scream for help or try to run away… Whatever you're afraid I might do… That's what will happen if you try to run again."

Prompto swallowed nervously, feeling himself shaking again. He didn't feel safe in this situation at all. Ardyn said all he had to do to avoid being hurt was cooperate, but there was no promise he wouldn't hurt him anyway. He'd be in a position to do so if he wanted, out in the middle of nowhere, with no one else around. What would stop him from hurting Prompto if that's what he decided to do, even if Prompto did cooperate?

And who was the man Ardyn was speaking of? Prompto's family member - the 'man he came from…' Was that his dad then? Was he safe? Prompto didn't live with his real family for a reason, right? He'd been taken away, given away… something… Did he even want to know his real dad? What if the man was cruel? If he was friends with this guy who was willing to violently kidnap his son, the guy had to be cruel… right?

"If you try to escape again…" Ardyn started, starting to squeeze his hand around Prompto's neck. "I might choke you… Hard… Hard enough that you can't breathe… long enough that you'll pass out."

Choking a difficult breath, Prompto squeezed his eyes shut. "Please…" He whimpered. "Let go-"

"Or…" Ardyn loosened his grip so that Prompto could inhale a shaking breath. "Perhaps I'll break your little arm." He let go of Prompto's neck, grabbing one of Prompto's arms in each of his hands and starting to twist one.

"No, don't!" Prompto tugged at his arms, feeling his breaths increasing in frequency. "Please don't!"

"But that's not what you're most afraid of, is it?" Ardyn smirked, an evil glint in his eye as he gripped both of Prompto's wrists in one hand again, placing his other hand over the boy's chest.

Prompto shook his head slightly, staring through his tears up at the man, really not wanting the start of a demonstration of the only other thing he could think of right now that the man could threaten him with. "I won't run…" He whispered. "I won't try to get away again…"

"I should hope not…" Ardyn frowned. "I really don't want to have to threaten a child with this…" He went on, running his hand down Prompto's chest, toward the waistband of his pants.

Tears spilled over as Prompto inhaled a tiny, shaking breath, pulling at his arms again and squeezing his eyes shut. "Please!" He sobbed. "I won't try to escape… I won't…"

"I don't want to have to do this." Ardyn warned, tugging lightly at the front of Prompto's pants, inching them very slightly downward so that the waistband of his underwear was visible.

"Don't! Please!" Prompto whimpered, pulling at his trapped arms. "I'll do what you say… I won't try to get away! I promise!" He opened his eyes, staring up into Ardyn's, as the man held perfectly still, staring back. "Please… Y-you said you wouldn't hurt me if I don't try to get away. I won't try to escape again! Please! I promise. I'll do whatever you want…"

Ardyn laughed. "That's a dangerous promise… But I'll take it. Remember you said that, because I will hurt you in the worst ways you can imagine if you cross me."

Prompto swallowed, wanting to pull at his arms again, wanting to twist his body to try to throw the man off of him, but at this point afraid to even move. Ardyn's hand was still around the front of his pants, ready to pull them down further if he chose to.

"Want to sit up front then?" Ardyn smiled, finally letting go with both hands and climbing off the boy.

Still shaking, Prompto nodded. He assumed it was more of an order than a question. He didn't really want to sit up front. He didn't want to be anywhere near this man… but at this point, he was afraid to say no to anything the guy suggested.

xxxxxx


	3. Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

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Prompto couldn't help but to marvel at the scenery as Ardyn drove. He'd never been out of the city before and hardly realized just how beautiful and big everything was out here. He'd seen photographs of the world, of the Disc of Cauthess, the huge arches stretching across Lucis, the volcano - Ravatogh, waterfalls, caves, giant rock formations... He was always mesmerized by them, but it just looked so much more amazing in person. Back home, there were tall buildings everywhere. There were parks, man-made bodies of water, small areas where nature was allowed to edge in, but nothing like this.

The place was so big, but also somehow so lonely. There were hardly any other cars out here on the road and there were wild animals running free in the vast expanses of land. Hardly any buildings, and the buildings he did see were mostly run down, abandoned old barns and shacks. There were lots of huge rocks, shrubs and strange looking trees, lots of animals off running in the distance. Some of them looked mean... like if Prompto had managed to get out of the car before, he might have only been killed anyway...

It was unlike anything he'd ever seen. Impossibly big, absolutely stunning. It was a shame he was seeing it under these circumstances, kidnapped by a terrifying stranger, without his camera, without feeling safe or secure at all. It would have been amazing to drive through and see all of this with someone else. Maybe with Noctis. Noctis hadn't been out of the city either. Not that Prompto knew of. Not that they'd talked about.

Prompto smiled as he thought about his friend. Maybe if he ever got out of this mess, he could go back to Insomnia and ask Noctis to take a trip with him outside of the city. They could see all of this stuff together. Take selfies, go camping... He wondered if Noct would want to. His friend wasn't as big on outdoor activities as Prompto was - though he did enjoy fishing. There were probably fish the prince had never even heard of out here.

Staring up at the passing clouds, Prompto pictured in his mind Noctis catching a huge fish, then he and Prompto could cook it and camp out under the stars... The stars would probably be so bright out here at night - with no street lights or buildings to obstruct his view... Maybe Noct could even teach Prompto how to fish. He wasn't sure he'd want to do it for hours on end like the prince did, but it might be fun to try it - to feel the rush of catching something big.

Noct would be so proud of him if he caught a huge fish... Maybe he'd even be jealous if Prompto's fish was bigger than whatever Noct had caught that day. That would be funny - to fish for the very first time ever and do it better than Noct, who did it all the time. Prompto couldn't help but to smirk as he thought about it. Noct would be so mad... but he'd be proud too. He'd be happy for Prompto.

"You've had a decent life." Ardyn noted from the driver's seat.

Frowning, Prompto glanced over toward him, remembering that he was in fact still here with the frightening man. Not on a fun camping trip with his friend. Maybe he'd never even see Noct again. Maybe the chance to visit all these places with his friend would never come. He'd never experience the excitement of catching a huge fish, the amusement and pride when Noct would inevitably be both jealous and proud of him... He could die out here - or just be held captive and never allowed to return home. He didn't know how this nightmare would end... If it ever would.

"An easy life." Ardyn went on. "Perhaps much more easy than you could possibly deserve."

Prompto glared over at the man. Ardyn was wrong. Prompto's life hadn't been easy so far. It wasn't the worst life. He had a home, food, clothing... He had a good friend, was getting an education... His life wasn't awful, but he'd suffered for sure. Ardyn didn't know anything about his life. And even if his life was perfect, why wouldn't he deserve for it to be that way? Why did Ardyn think Prompto deserved a painful existence? Why couldn't he be blissfully happy and lucky without having done anything special to earn it?

"Not everyone is so lucky. You were stolen away from your origins, and brought to the city to live in a cute little house, with a cute little family… Make friends with a prince… You go to school, wander around the city petting stray animals like you're living in a fairy tale, oblivious to all the pain out in the world. You've been lucky." Ardyn went on.

Prompto breathed in a small breath, choosing not to argue. His life hadn't been as easy as it maybe looked from the outside. His family was practically non-existent. His parents hardly ever saw him, and the few times they did, they seemed annoyed or angry with him. They never actually told him he was adopted, but Prompto could feel it… and he also felt like they regretted taking him in. They didn't seem to like him.

"I notice you seem to enjoy the scenery." Ardyn continued. "If you hadn't made me drug you to get you into the car, maybe I'd have allowed you to bring your little camera. You could have documented our journey. We could have taken selfies together. As you do with your friends... And with various cats and dogs you find on the street."

Prompto frowned. Ardyn must have been watching him for a while. He knew Prompto was friends with Noctis, knew he had a camera with him a lot… He even knew about Prompto's tendency to befriend random animals he came across.

"I don't often have a passenger in my car. It's kind of nice to have company for once." Ardyn spoke. "Would be nicer if my guest would speak to me." He glanced over toward Prompto with a slight frown and a raised eyebrow.

Prompto gasped a small breath. Was that a threat? Was he going to hurt Prompto if Prompto didn't say something back? What should he say? He didn't know what to say… This guy kidnapped him - rather violently... threatened to hurt him, break his arm, choke him, sexually assault him. What the hell was Prompto supposed to say after all that? He supposed he could ask questions... If Ardyn was inviting conversation, Prompto could at least try to figure out why the hell the guy took him.

"Wh-where are we going?" Prompto whispered after a painfully long moment of silence, feeling his lip tremble as his words did the same.

Ardyn let out a laugh. "It'll be worth your while." He answered cryptically.

"But..." Prompto hesitated, swallowing nervously. "Y-you said you know my family... Who is it? Where are they?"

Ardyn smiled and shook his head. "Let's talk about something else for the time being. Those are very big questions I'm not yet prepared to get into. You'll get your answers. Don't you worry. Just not yet. Not from me."

Prompto frowned, looking around the car, trying to find something else to say. He wanted to keep his captor happy… He didn't want Ardyn to get angry and take it out on him. But he didn't know how to make conversation - not with this man… This violent, dangerous stranger who scared the hell out of him… He didn't want to answer questions about where they were going or who they were meeting with. So why was he complaining about Prompto not saying anything back? What did he want to talk about? Why did Prompto have to be the one to bring up the topic of conversation?

The boy looked down at the floor, at his socked feet, then back up out the windshield. Nothing but road, desert, and sky was in front of them. He looked back inside the car, at the center console where the clock was. It was nine o'clock in the morning.

"Can we listen to the radio?" Prompto asked, glancing over toward Ardyn and biting his lower lip.

Ardyn looked over at him with a smile, then leaned toward the dials in the middle of the car and adjusted the radio. "Of course. Do you like music?" He asked as he settled on a station playing something Prompto hadn't ever heard before. Maybe it was regional.

Prompto swallowed and nodded. "Doesn't everyone?" He whispered.

"I suppose most people do." Ardyn agreed with a small shrug. "A person's taste in music can be useful in determining his character... and typically those who don't enjoy music at all have very little of it."

Prompto frowned. "Very little of what? Character?" He asked.

"Indeed." Ardyn nodded. "Have you met anyone who doesn't enjoy music?"

Prompto looked up, trying to think. "I don't think so." He realized. "I mean, I don't ask everyone I meet, but I don't remember anyone ever telling me they didn't like music. It'd be pretty weird..."

"I've tired of most things in this world by now… But not music. Nor wine." He added with a small chuckle.

Prompto let out a nervous laugh as well, looking down at his feet again, wiggling his toes in his socks. He wished he could have grabbed his shoes so if he got a chance to run away from this guy, he'd have them. Running through the desert would be a lot easier with shoes.

"Music is in a way ageless…" Ardyn mused as he focused on the road ahead.

"Yeah…" Prompto nodded, starting to feel a little more at ease, strangely enough. When Ardyn demanded that he cooperate or get hurt, Prompto had it in his mind that perhaps cooperating would entail agreeing to be hurt in some way or another - like letting Ardyn touch him to keep the man from breaking his arm, or Prompto having to touch Ardyn instead to keep from getting choked. Ardyn wasn't asking for anything horrible though. Sitting in the car as Ardyn drove, listening to music… It wasn't really so bad for the moment.

"You're so very young. There's so much music out in the world. I hardly come across a piece these days that I haven't heard before." Ardyn noted. "You're lucky you get to experience so much of it for the first time still."

"I've heard a lot of music… b-but I guess you've been around a little longer, so it makes sense that you'd have heard a lot more…" Prompto agreed.

Ardyn glanced toward him for a moment, softly chuckling, but not commenting.

"So… Do you have any kids?" Prompto asked in a small voice, looking down at his fingers as he picked at his fingernails in his lap.

"What would make you believe I have children?" Ardyn laughed.

Prompto stuck his lip out and glared toward the man. "I dunno… Just 'cuz you're so patient and chill."

Ardyn narrowed his eyes as he looked toward Prompto, then let out a seemingly genuine laugh. "My, my… Prompto, was that a joke at my expense?"

Prompto hesitated, hoping Ardyn wasn't going to take offense to it. He did seem honestly amused. "Maybe…" he breathed, staring with wide eyes.

"Well done." Ardyn nodded. "And here I was beginning to think your sense of humor got left behind in Insomnia."

"Well… You know… You kept your cool for a long time last night… You must have given me five or six chances before violently wrestling me onto my bed and drugging me… You showed a lot of restraint back there… Very patient. You'd be great with kids." Prompto laughed slightly, still somewhat nervous.

He still didn't know Ardyn. He didn't know how much joking the man would put up with. Would he tire of it? Did he really think it was funny? Would it keep him in a good mood or annoy him?

Ardyn shook his head and laughed. "No one has ever accused me of being great with kids. Your sarcasm is noted."

"So you don't have kids then…" Prompto figured. "Do you have a family? Like a wife, or brothers and sisters or anything? Maybe a best friend?"

Ardyn focused back on the road, narrowing his eyes, not answering for a moment.

Prompto frowned. Maybe that was a sore subject. "I don't have brothers and sisters, but I wish I did. A brother would be nice." Prompto shrugged, his voice growing smaller again. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about your family. Not everyone has the typical family. I know that..."

"Yes. You do know that, don't you…" Ardyn still stared at the road, continuing to dodge the question.

"I think it's okay to have a good friend instead." Prompto looked down. "You can make your own family if life doesn't give you a good one. D-do you have a best friend?" He looked back toward Ardyn.

Ardyn laughed softly and shook his head. "Not like you do, my dear. My friends are more acquaintances. I don't waste my effort building friendships at this point. Humanity is a plague, and I'm not typically interested in spending my time on it. I certainly haven't got a spoiled little prince inviting me over to play video games every day."

Prompto frowned and looked down again. Ardyn seemed bitter about Prompto being friends with Noct. Maybe he was one of those people who hated the royal family. It was rare in Insomnia, but some people just didn't like them. Maybe because they were jealous. Maybe because their lives weren't turning out just right and they thought the king and his men could have done more about it.

"I bet you could make some friends though if you wanted to..." Prompto noted, his voice a little breathless. "I don't think you're so bad... I mean... I wish you didn't drug and kidnap me. And I don't like that you threatened to hurt me... b-but you're being nice now..."

Ardyn rolled his eyes and laughed. "You're too kind." He chuckled.

"Just..." Prompto hesitated. "M-maybe you got used to playing the bad guy and you try too hard to seem mean..." He guessed. Ardyn really wasn't as intimidating in this moment. He drugged and kidnapped Prompto, and that was definitely an issue... but Prompto figured most violent criminals wouldn't waste time chatting with their hostages about music and friends.

Ardyn shook his head. "I'm not playing at anything, my sweet, naive little child. I am the bad guy. I've earned that title fair and square. Don't think for a second that I'm a good person. That I'm not capable of horrible things when someone crosses me..."

Prompto felt his heartbeat quickening as he looked down again. "Okay..." He breathed. Maybe he shouldn't have pressed this issue. If Ardyn didn't want friends, if he wanted to be considered a villain, Prompto didn't need to argue with him over it.

"But bad guys can do fair things." Ardyn went on. "I'm by no means a good person. I won't ever pretend to be, but I'm generally fair to those who don't cross me. I've done terrible, cruel things. So many of them... Some of the worst things you could imagine... Things people didn't deserve, but that I wanted to do to them anyway..." His eyes narrowed as he maintained his stare out the front windscreen. "But I'm capable of kindness, of being gentle, patient, even lenient. Again, I won't hurt you unless you make me. I've no interest in needlessly abusing a defenseless, weak, fifteen year old little boy... I'll be decent as long as you do your part."

"Oh..." Prompto stared, his eyes wide. He swallowed nervously. "Okay... I will... I'll do my part... I won't try anything..."

Ardyn laughed and shrugged. "You've nothing to worry about as long as you cooperate." He promised.

"Okay..." Prompto whispered.

"Anything else? What do you get yourself into back at home? Of course, I likely know most of it. I've been around, keeping a watch on you and your royal friend." Ardyn laughed.

"Um..." Prompto winced. How long was Ardyn watching them? He probably already knew everything Prompto did... but if he wanted conversation, Prompto could give it to him. Talking - rambling - was actually one of Prompto's strengths. "I... I take pictures. Lots of pictures... Of anything cool around the city... Selfies sometimes. Me and Noct together. Sometimes Gladio and Ignis are there. They're Noct's friends. They like kinda work for his dad, but they're friends too, and they're pretty nice. Ignis is so serious, and Gladio's a little intimidating, but they're nice. I started just being friends with Noct, but I think I'm kinda making friends with them too."

"You've really got an entire little life..." Ardyn narrowed his eyes, but didn't look over toward Prompto.

"Y-yeah..." Prompto swallowed. "I've been living there as long as I can remember... and me and Noct have gone to school together for a long time... I mean, fifteen years of work went into my life. That's a long time..."

"And you've got so many little friends." Ardyn chuckled.

"Yeah..." Prompto frowned. "Well... I don't know if I'd say 'many.' Mostly just me and Noct hang out, but I guess I'm getting to know some of his friends too... and maybe they're becoming my friends. It took a while to get close to anyone, but I managed to do it..." Prompto grimaced. Was Ardyn bitter about that too? About the fact that Prompto had developed friendships? Why did the man care so much?

"Noct..." Ardyn repeated the prince's name. "That's what you call the prince. Noct." He noted.

Prompto bit his lower lip and nodded.

"When you're not wasting your little lives playing video games, what is it that you and the prince do?" Ardyn wondered. "Are you privy to anything important or do the two of you just wander around the city taking pictures and buying ice cream like he doesn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders?"

"Um..." Prompto hesitated. That was such a broad question. They did anything and everything. "Well... He does training and stuff, but I don't really get involved in it. He's got prince things he's gotta do... It doesn't really involve me... I'm just there for the friend stuff. The fun part." He laughed nervously. Maybe his life had been better than he deserved. Maybe that's why Ardyn was so bitter about it. Maybe Ardyn had an important role in society where he was from. Maybe he'd been born into it like Noct and was bitter that people like Prompto never had to worry about being or doing anything important in their lives.

"The fun stuff, hm? And what would that be?" Ardyn asked.

Prompto looked down at his lap, hoping he wasn't going to say the wrong thing. "Sometimes we just walk around the city... Hang out at my house, the arcade... I guess that classifies as video games... We do homework together... I mean, he's a prince, but half the time you wouldn't even know it. He acts pretty normal, I think. We have a lot of fun... We like to have dinner sometimes - when his dad is busy, which is a lot. Ignis cooks for us sometimes. He's really good..." He breathed, trying to say anything at all to fill the silence, to answer Ardyn's questions, to keep the man from remembering any of his frightening threats.

"What does he cook for you?" Ardyn wondered, still staring out the windshield. Prompto wondered if the man really even cared. Maybe Ardyn was just filling the silence too. Maybe he was merely bored.

"Pretty much anything." Prompto answered. "He makes a really good pizza, this crazy dessert thing with powdered sugar, grilled cheese. You wouldn't think that's anything special, but the way he does it is. He puts tomatoes and bacon on it... and just somehow the way he grills it... It's just really good. Best grilled cheese ever."

Ardyn laughed slightly. "I'm fairly certain I've never had a grilled cheese."

"Well, you should. You'd like it the way Iggy makes it. It's so good. I'll have him make you one sometime-" Prompto blurted, forgetting for a moment that he was chatting with his kidnapper, not an old friend.

"No, thank you." Ardyn chuckled.

Prompto swallowed and looked down, feeling a little bit embarrassed. All of this talk about food though made him realize just how dry his mouth was. He was pretty hungry, and even more thirsty. Ardyn had taken him late at night, and he woke up in the back seat in the morning. It had been hours and hours since he last had a drink.

"Do you… Like, you know… Do you have any water?" Prompto whispered, swallowing a dry gulp and looking down at his socks again. "I'm kind of thirsty…"

When Prompto glanced back toward Ardyn, he noticed a smile on the man's lips. Like maybe the guy for some reason found real humor in Prompto asking for a drink.

"I'd nearly forgotten about that, sweet child… You've got to eat and drink…" Ardyn laughed.

"Um… yeah…" Prompto shrunk down in his seat. How the hell would Ardyn forget that a human being needed food and water?

"Well…" Ardyn focused on a road sign as they passed it, then glanced back toward Prompto. "There should be a small shop coming up… We could stop for some provisions."

Prompto felt his heart flutter nervously in his chest. Would this be a chance to escape? A shop would mean other people nearby… All he'd have to do would be to get out of the car long enough to approach someone - anyone - and beg them to help him. Ardyn couldn't drag him back to the car kicking and screaming if there were people around.

Ardyn seemed to have known exactly what Prompto was thinking though, and was quick to offer a rather terrifying threat in an attempt to dissuade the boy. "If you make a scene, I will hurt you… and I'll execute any witnesses. Do you understand?"

Prompto quickly nodded. What other choice did he have in this moment but to agree? He'd have to wait and see what the area looked like, but if there were other people around and he had a chance, he'd be stupid not to try to make his escape…

"I know this doesn't seem fair to you…" Ardyn noted. "But I can't have you trying anything in public. It's even worse than when you tried it with only me there. If you call attention to us, anyone who sees will have to die. You don't want that, do you?"

"No." Prompto breathed, feeling his blood run cold. He really didn't want that. He didn't want to risk someone else's life to save his own…

"And in that event, after you've forced me to kill the witnesses, I'll have to hurt you." Ardyn went on. "I'm a man of my word. I told you before, you try to escape, you don't cooperate, and you will be hurt… Physically… Sexually… We'll see." He shrugged.

Prompto felt his lip trembling as tears started pooling in his eyes again. He looked away, not wanting Ardyn to see how upset he was. He didn't know what to do now… If they made it into a town, if Ardyn got out of the car and left Prompto alone for a moment, how could he not try to escape? But then, if Ardyn caught him, if he really did kill anyone else who was around to see it… it would be Prompto's fault, in a way...

After a few moments of silence, Ardyn's laugh brought Prompto's attention back. "I'm not a bad guy. Well... I am, but I'm not in this moment..." Ardyn chuckled.

Frowning, Prompto stared at him. He was so a bad guy. He was violent, cruel, terrifying. He'd threatened to break Prompto's arm, to strangle him, to rape him… and now he threatened to kill other people. That wasn't exactly something a good person would do.

"I won't hurt anyone as long as you behave appropriately." Ardyn reminded him. "It's all up to you, dear. You do as you're told, and no one will be hurt at all. We'll just go into the store, buy food and water for you… and head back out. Easy as can be."

Prompto looked down at the floorboard of the car again, staring at his socked feet. He felt almost betrayed by how quickly the tone had shifted. One minute Ardyn was talking about music, laughing at a joke Prompto made - the next he was threatening to hurt him, threatening to kill other people if Prompto made one wrong move…

The threats certainly did a good job of pulling Prompto back down to reality though. Ardyn may have laughed at his jokes, he may have let him listen to music, talked to him about this and that… but he was still a kidnapper - one who drugged Prompto, dragged him along against his will, threatened to break his bones, choke him, rape him… Ardyn wasn't his friend. Even if he was willing to be decent for a moment, he wasn't a decent person overall.

This wasn't a road trip - a fun little vacation… This wasn't Prompto's chance to bond with his long-lost uncle. It was still a kidnapping.

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	4. Chapter 4

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Chapter 4

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"Here we are." Ardyn nodded toward a sign advertising a small rest area. Sure enough, Prompto saw a shop up ahead. Nothing else though. Just the small shop and an almost empty parking lot. The one car in the lot was probably that of the shop's owner - which meant there weren't a lot of people. Escaping would have been easier with a lot of people - too many witnesses for Ardyn to try to get rid of them all.

Prompto felt out of breath as Ardyn pulled the car up into the lot and parked it. It looked like no one else was here. Just them and the person running the store. Executing potential witnesses to any of Prompto's attempts at escape would be easy for the man if there was only one other person there...

"So we're going in. I want you to come too. Choose some foods you like. We'll have access to a camp fire and can buy water and a kettle, but that's about the extent of the cooking we'll be able to handle… So tea, coffee, noodles, any canned food… Fresh fruit if there is any… Just choose what you like. Cost is no bother." Ardyn noted. "And remember, don't do anything dumb. I don't want this poor man running the store to have to die. Do you?"

Prompto shook his head no. Of course he didn't want that.

"Great. Come along." Ardyn opened his door and stepped out, giving Prompto a painfully wide range of freedom to follow along entirely on his own.

For the moment, Prompto did follow on his own. He didn't know what else to do. He didn't want the shop-keeper's blood on his hands. He didn't want to get the guy involved, to get him killed… But he was also terrified of Ardyn, and didn't know what harm would come to him later if he didn't take this chance at escape. What if there was no other chance later? What if this was his one opportunity to get away before Ardyn hurt him much worse than he already had? What if Ardyn's threats to hurt him only if he tried to escape weren't entirely accurate?

They were traveling alone. There weren't many people around… What if they stopped for the night and Ardyn decided that he wanted to do something sexual? Prompto wasn't strong enough to fight back against the man… Ardyn brought it up many more times than Prompto was comfortable with. He didn't want to be with Ardyn any longer than he already had been...

"Do you like noodles?" Ardyn asked as he led the way through the store, plucking up a cup of noodles off the shelf and showing Prompto.

Prompto nodded silently. He couldn't think about food anymore, no matter how hungry he was ten minutes ago.

Ardyn tossed a few noodle cups into his shopping basket and continued on. "Will you eat canned vegetables?" Ardyn looked toward Prompto with a raised eyebrow. "I know they aren't the best, but we're a little limited on choices."

"I don't know..." Prompto answered, his voice small, a little breathless. He couldn't focus on food now. "J-just get whatever you want... It doesn't matter. I'll... I'll just eat whatever..." He whispered, staring around the store, looking for a potential way out. If he just ran for the door, if he sprinted as fast as he could out into the desert, would Ardyn kill the shop keeper? Would that be enough for the man to witness to where Ardyn would feel like he had to die for it?

Ardyn laughed, leaning down slightly to see Prompto better. "Relax." He suggested, placing a hand lightly on Prompto's shoulder and staring into his eyes. "Take a breath... You're not in danger. You're not in trouble..." He promised.

"I'm just nervous..." Prompto whispered, shrinking down slightly as he stared back up into Ardyn's eyes.

"All you have to do is act like a normal human being." Ardyn smirked. "I'm not going to harm you. I'm the same man you were joking with back in the car... Just act like we're family, like you're shopping with your uncle. You can manage that. Choose some things that you enjoy eating. We'll be traveling together for a few days, so just get yourself a small collection of your favorites. There's no reason for this trip to be miserable. Okay?" Ardyn nodded.

Prompto swallowed. "Okay..." He whispered, inhaling a small, shaky breath.

Ardyn placed his hand lightly against Prompto's cheek, then smiled a smile that would have looked warm and genuine to anyone on the outside looking in. Anyone who didn't know Prompto had been kidnapped by the man. "You can even get junk. Cookies, candy... Whatever you want."

Prompto let out a slight laugh, but it was very forced. Ardyn's demeanor was so calm, so cool and light now... But Prompto couldn't forget that the man had threatened to kill anyone nearby if Prompto caused a commotion, that he threatened to hurt Prompto too. Back when Prompto had just first woken up, Ardyn told him he'd break his arm or choke him if he tried anything... He'd even threatened rape - more than once. Ardyn's generous offer of cookies and candy wasn't going to make Prompto forget all of that. He was indeed in danger here.

"We should get a first aide kit, just in case." Ardyn noted, smirking toward Prompto. "You shouldn't need it. I'll take good care of you."

Prompto frowned, but continued following the man around the store. Why did he think they needed a first aide kit? They were driving... Nothing else. How the hell would either of them end up needing that? Hopefully it was just a precaution.

"We'll get some water, for tea... Or do you prefer coffee?" Ardyn asked, walking toward a selection of the beverages he mentioned.

Prompto shrugged. "Probably tea..." He answered, his voice still small. No amount of Ardyn acting like they were friends shopping for a fun road trip together was going to make him forget the threats. Ardyn threatened to kill any witnesses if Prompto drew attention to them. He threatened to hurt and sexually assault him.

"Do you drink wine?" Ardyn asked, looking over his shoulder at Prompto.

Prompto inhaled a small breath, feeling lost, increasingly scared. Why did Ardyn want him to drink wine? To make him out of it? To get him more vulnerable than he already was? So he could hurt him easier? Was Ardyn going to drink it? Drink too much of it? Sometimes people who were too drunk let their hands wander, got rough. Would Ardyn? Even if he truly wasn't planning on hurting Prompto, might he end up doing so without thinking if he drank too much? Forgot that he said he wouldn't do it if Prompto behaved?

Ardyn frowned, his brows raising as he shrugged slightly. "Do you? I'm buying wine for me. Do you want any?" He asked in a more annoyed tone.

Prompto shook his head no. He didn't want any. He didn't want Ardyn drinking it either. What if the man was violent when he drank? What if he was a pervert when he drank?

"I'm fifteen…" Prompto whispered, feeling tears pricking at his eyes again. Was Ardyn really planning to get him drunk so he could take advantage of him? Is that what he was trying to do? Was Ardyn going to get drunk instead and force himself on Prompto? "Ardyn… I'm only fifteen… I don't want it... I don't think we should get it..." He whimpered in a small voice.

"Okay…" Ardyn laughed, clapping Prompto on his shoulder. "No need to get upset. I won't force you to drink it. I'm buying one for myself though. One of the only things left in this world that I still indulge in."

Prompto's lip trembled as he followed Ardyn along, putting quite a bit of effort into controlling his breaths and trying not to cry. Ardyn was a grown man. He had to be in his late thirties or early forties… Prompto was still a child. Ardyn even acknowledged it. But the man had threatened to sexually abuse him… and now here he was, buying wine, asking Prompto if he wanted any.

This whole situation was turning downright nauseating. Prompto wasn't just fearful of being hurt in general. He was becoming increasingly paranoid now - that Ardyn wasn't taking him anywhere but out to the middle of nowhere so he could sexually assault him… maybe over and over… Maybe he'd keep Prompto with him forever, raping him whenever he felt like it, threatening that if Prompto made it difficult, he'd break his arms or strangle him.

"Son… Why don't you look around." Ardyn suggested, offering what could have been interpreted as a kind smile if Prompto actually knew and trusted the man. "Find whatever you'd like. You don't need to follow me like a little puppy. Just remember what we talked about."

Frowning, Prompto looked down. Ardyn almost seemed to be daring him to try something. He let Prompto out of the car, out in public. He was suggesting that the boy walk around the store on his own… Was this some kind of a test? A trap?

Prompto looked over toward the shop-keeper, accidentally making eye contact with the man. He forced a small smile and looked away, feeling guilty even for looking at the man. What if something in Prompto's expression alerted the guy that something was wrong? What if he asked questions, got Ardyn suspicious that Prompto had somehow told him even when he hadn't?

When Prompto looked toward the shop-keeper again, the guy was frowning. He looked worried as he stared back at Prompto.

Letting out a shaky breath and looking away again, Prompto felt dread growing in his chest. The man knew. Prompto wasn't able to play it cool and the guy could tell something was wrong. Ardyn was going to kill him…

Prompto looked back at the man again, shaking his head no when the man looked only increasingly concerned. Now what? Should Prompto go over and tell the guy he was fine? Should he just ignore the whole thing? Or should he even confess the truth, to warn the guy that Ardyn might kill him if he made the wrong move?

Swallowing nervously as he glanced back toward Ardyn who was looking over the wine selection, Prompto started up toward the counter. He wasn't sure what he was going to say when he got there…

"Are you alright?" The man whispered, leaning over the counter before Prompto could choose what to say or do himself.

Swallowing as he glanced back toward Ardyn, Prompto felt his heart pounding in his chest. He leaned closer to the man. This was his one shot. The man was already suspicious. Ardyn might kill him anyway just for that alone. Prompto had to try to save himself, and warn this guy at the same time.

"That man kidnapped me…" Prompto whispered, his voice shaking. "He says he'll kill you and hurt me if I say anything… If I make a scene… He said if I tell anyone or scream or run he'll hurt me... and that he'll kill any witnesses... Don't let him know I told you… b-but I need help… Please help me… Don't let him know I said anything… b-but don't let him take me out of this store. Please..."

The shop-keeper's eyes widened as he stared from Prompto to Ardyn.

"Don't look at him…" Prompto winced, feeling his breaths picking up. He had a horrible feeling he just made a huge mistake. "J-just..." He hesitated, squeezing his hands into fists at the bottom hem of his shirt and looking away. He didn't want to make eye contact with either Ardyn or the shop keeper now. He just screwed up horribly.

"He kidnapped you?" The shopkeeper stared, reaching toward Prompto's arm, lightly gripping near his elbow. "Look at me." He demanded, his voice gentle, but urgent.

Prompto felt tears stinging his eyes as his throat tightened. He shook his head as he looked back up. "N-nevermind." He whispered, trying to force a smile. "I was kidding..."

The shopkeeper frowned, letting go of Prompto's arm when the boy pulled it back. "I won't let him take you out of the store." He spoke in a low voice.

Prompto shook his head and cowered down. How the hell was this man going to stop Ardyn from taking him? "He's really strong." Prompto whimpered. "M-maybe just forget that I said anything... I don't want him to kill you..."

"No. I ain't forgetting what you just said." The shopkeeper glared. "I won't let him take you."

Grimacing, Prompto closed his eyes for a moment, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. He blinked his eyes back open and leaned forward, whispering in the tiniest voice he could manage. "I shouldn't have told you… Just… forget it. Act like everything's fine… He- he's gonna kill you… if you don't act like everything's fine, he'll kill you… I shouldn't have told you… Please just ignore what I said…" Prompto shook his head, taking a step back, glancing toward Ardyn who was now frowning and looking back.

"Everything okay, son?" Ardyn spoke, his voice low, but calm as he walked up to the counter, placing a hand lightly on Prompto's wrist.

"Yeah…" Prompto whispered. "I was asking this guy about shoes… since… Since you know… I lost mine…" He lied.

Ardyn laughed as he looked down toward Prompto's feet. "We left in such a hurry." He laughed, looking back up toward the shop keeper. "Oh…" Ardyn's tone changed to that of almost-shock, yet still with a heavy air of smug calmness to it.

Prompto audibly gasped as he looked back up in time to see the shop-keeper had raised a gun up toward Ardyn, pointing it right at his chest.

"I'm not letting you take this boy out of the store." The shop keeper threatened with a hard stare.

Prompto felt frozen. Surely the shop keeper could win this fight from here… He had a gun… Ardyn didn't. Ardyn was at a disadvantage.

"My dear boy..." Ardyn laughed softly as he looked toward Prompto. "That took you all of thirty seconds..."

Prompto stared back with his mouth hanging open, shaking his head no. "I didn't..." He hesitated.

"Don't move. Take a step back…" The shop keeper demanded, glancing toward Prompto and waving him over. "Come behind the counter with me. I won't let him hurt you. He's not taking you anywhere." He offered.

Prompto swallowed. Ardyn's hand was still around his wrist, his grip tightening.

"Let him go and step back. I will shoot you." The shop keeper threatened. "If you want to claim he's lying, fine… b-but I'll call the police and they can handle it… I won't let you leave with him. Not after what he said…"

Prompto's eyes widened as he stared at the shop-keeper, then back toward Ardyn. "I didn't say anything-" He whispered, knowing just as well as Ardyn did that it was a lie. He told the man, after Ardyn warned him not to.

"I'm not kidding! You let him go! Right now!" The shop-keeper's voice rose. He was clearly growing increasingly impatient, increasingly nervous. "Let him go, or I'll make you!" He pointed his gun threateningly toward Ardyn's chest. "I'll do it…" He said again in a voice that was almost a whisper.

Ardyn frowned, shaking his head. "This is a shame." He breathed, reaching into his coat.

Prompto gasped and shrunk down, squeezing his eyes shut, finally managing to wrestle his arm free of Ardyn's grip as he heard a gunshot. He covered his head with his hands, ducking down to the ground and closing his eyes tighter.

Immediately after the gunshot, he heard a pained groan and a thud, like someone had been hit by the bullet… but it didn't sound like Ardyn…

Prompto breathed in as he opened his eyes in time to see Ardyn was still standing a few feet away. Prompto straightened himself back up and peered over the counter, swallowing nervously, knowing he wasn't going to like what he saw... The shop-keeper was on the ground. A dagger was stuck in his chest. Ardyn must have thrown it as the guy fired his gun… and the gun shot had clearly missed its target…

Looking back toward Ardyn with a sharp breath, Prompto noticed the man staring at him with raised eyebrows, shaking his head as though disappointed.

Shaking his own head and biting his lip, Prompto stumbled back. He felt tears in his eyes as his breath caught in his throat. He felt like his heart had stopped beating entirely. He had to run. He disobeyed Ardyn yet again, got someone killed… and now Ardyn would certainly deliver on his earlier threats. Prompto had to escape before Ardyn could hurt him.

With a shaking whimper, Prompto did the only thing he could think of. He turned and ran, through the store, out the front door, and into the vast desert.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posing this as a note and also kind of a question... I may up this rating to M within a few chapters - I'm telling you this because if you have a filter set to not see M-rated stories I want you to know the story is still here - just possibly getting a stronger rating eventually...
> 
> Without going into too many spoilery details - there are warnings attached to this story so you should kind of know what sorts of trauma are coming. My descriptions at times are a little graphic, but not to the point where I feel it's distasteful. I've read books where the target audience are teens and things like this happen - though maybe without as much description/detail. I'm very into over-explaining and being descriptive in all my stories - regardless of the plot... This story isn't graphic porn for the sake of being sexy. It's written as a scary, traumatic event... Do you all think I need to change the rating to mature before I get into that kind of thing? It's not the worst thing ever, but it's certainly not good... I feel like teens could handle it, and the warnings are there... but I don't want anyone reading to get more than they bargained for and feel upset... 
> 
> So should I change the rating to M before getting to those chapters? My concern with doing that is that people may omit M-rated things from their searches and miss this story, even though a vast majority of it isn't sexual, and the parts that are aren't (in my opinion) trashy or written to be like a turn on... It may be triggering, but that's what the warnings and tags are for...
> 
> Just let me know what you think, please and thank you, and enjoy the latest chapter:

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Chapter 5

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The boy let out a terrified scream as Ardyn lunged toward him, grabbed his arms in tight, angry fists, and tackled him roughly to the ground. Ardyn growled an annoyed noise, immediately grabbing toward the frantic young man's arm again as Prompto twisted himself around and started punching out at Ardyn's chest.

"Let go! Get off of me!" Prompto screamed, thrashing wildly, kicking, punching, breathing hard. For all the child knew, he was literally fighting for his life, and it showed. "Let me go! Stop!" Prompto screamed, his voice breathless, shaking, frantic, as dust rose up around them thanks to what was becoming a rather violent struggle.

To Ardyn's surprise, Prompto was actually putting up a pretty good fight - better than he had the night before. Last night the boy was frightened, confused, uncertain… He had obviously held back, scared fighting back too hard would get him hurt. Taking him down had been painfully easy. This was different. This was pure terror. It was clear Prompto was putting every ounce of strength and effort he had into this - that he truly feared for his life in this moment.

"Help me! Heeeelllllp!" Prompto shouted, trying to twist himself back onto his front, managing to crawl away about half a meter before Ardyn grabbed the back of his shirt and tugged him roughly back. The boy clawed at the ground as Ardyn dragged him across dust and stones, grabbing deliberately harshly to make sure his grip hurt.

"Get back here." Ardyn growled, dragging the child across the ground, probably bruising and scuffing him up in the process. He didn't give a shit if the boy got injured during this. In fact, he almost preferred it. It was Prompto's own fault, after all. Why shouldn't be end up injured thanks to his own stupid, disobedient choices? Ardyn had given him a very blunt, concise warning. Prompto knew nothing good would come from disobeying. He'd earned this response.

"No! Please!" Prompto sobbed, squirming and thrashing like a trapped animal - like an animal that knew it was about to have its throat cut. "Let go! Heelllp! Please! Somebody please!" He screamed, his voice shaky, terrified, breathless.

Ardyn hadn't seen him this frantic yet, and of course he completely understood why the boy was scared… but it was Prompto's own fault. Ardyn promised not to hurt him if he just didn't make a scene. Prompto couldn't manage to upkeep his end of the bargain, and now here they were. Prompto was scared Ardyn was going to hurt him, and he was right to be scared. Ardyn was going to hurt him.

"Stop screaming." Ardyn growled, balling his hand into a fist and slamming it down against Prompto's ribs.

Prompto choked out a pained whimper and squeezed his eyes shut, but only stayed quiet for a moment before he was screaming again, his frightened pleas mixed now with moans of pain. "Help me! Somebody, please!" He sobbed, his words breathless, shaking, weak.

Ardyn exhaled an annoyed breath and shook his head. The boy was beyond reasoning with at this point. He was too scared to understand that it would be better to just shut the hell up and cooperate, that his mistake was huge, but that fighting back now would only make things worse for him. With each passing second that Prompto continued to struggle, Ardyn wanted to hurt him more. He told the kid not to fucking run, not to cause a scene... He warned him that he'd be hurt if he didn't comply, and Prompto didn't listen. He was going to deserve whatever Ardyn ended up doing to him for this.

"Please don't hurt me! Please!" Prompto sobbed, thrashing wildly under his captor. "Help me! Heeeelllpp!" He continued screaming until Ardyn punched him across the face, immediately grabbing at his throat and squeezing.

"Shut up!" Ardyn growled, feeling his own breaths increasing in speed as his frustration grew. Prompto only had to calmly and quietly follow him along. That was it. Ardyn wasn't going to hurt him so long as he just did what Ardyn fucking said. Why didn't the boy understand that?

Prompto reached up with trembling hands, grabbing at Ardyn's which were squeezed around his neck. "Please-" He whimpered, tears starting to stream down his cheeks as he realized he could no longer breathe.

Ardyn only squeezed harder, feeling a sick satisfaction as he stared down at the boy, whose struggles were growing weaker by the second. "Stop screaming. Stop it. Now." He demanded, well aware of the fact that Prompto couldn't scream now if he wanted to.

Prompto gasped a pained, restricted, breathless noise, squeezing his eyes shut as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Please… Stop" He whimpered in a voice so small Ardyn could barely hear it as he reached toward the man's arm, gripping it desperately, twisting his body under his attacker's weight, kicking out uselessly at the dusty ground beneath them.

"I warned you. I gave you plenty of warning." Ardyn reminded him, his voice low, angry. And he really was pretty pissed off right now. He thought he'd scared the boy enough not to have to go through this. Ardyn didn't give a damn about the shop keeper. He didn't know him. Didn't care that he was dead now… But it was messy. He didn't want to have to resort to that.

The boy let out another tiny groan as he reached up with both hands, clawing at Ardyn's fingers as the man's hand gripped increasingly tightly around his neck. "St-" Prompto choked, tears streaming down his cheeks now more than ever. "Stop… I c- can't br-breathe…" He whimpered.

Ardyn exhaled a calming breath, knowing he needed to be the one to de-escalate this moment before he seriously injured the boy. "Don't fucking scream." He warned, squeezing his hand tighter for a moment before loosening his grip, but keeping his fingers threateningly in place as a warning. "We're going to want to get back to that shop, get what we came for, and head out before someone else stops there… so no one else has to die. Understand?"

Prompto shook his head no, sobbing breathlessly. "Please don't hurt me!" He begged again, this time in a low whisper, clearly finally having learned his lesson about the screaming, but seemingly not listening to a word Ardyn had said otherwise. "I d-didn't mean to say anything… H-he was looking at me… l-like he knew… Y-you didn't have to kill him! I w-would've told him I was lying. I would have taken it back! Please..." Prompto's rambling eventually turned back into more shaky sobs. He didn't even seem to understand himself what he was asking for. Did he want Ardyn to go back in time and un-kill the guy? "Please... He didn't have to die..." Prompto whimpered.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Ardyn shook his head. He then blinked them back open, glaring at the boy shaking and crying below him. He honestly never wanted to hurt someone more than he did right now. He had threatened the child with the things he knew scared him most - broken bones, choking, sexual assault... A part of him wanted to do all three - just to be sure the boy suffered as much as possible for this... He could twist the child's arm, break it, dislocate it... kick him in the ribs - break those too... Then choke him while he raped him... Prompto would be so devastated, in so much pain. Enough pain to remember to never fucking cross Ardyn ever again. To do what he fucking said from now on.

Ardyn couldn't help but to smirk as he thought about the boy lying on the ground, trembling, sobbing, choking out pained, breathless gasps, moaning in pain, fully regretting every stupid choice he made today. Ardyn knew exactly what he could do to make Prompto really suffer, to make sure the boy knew never to run again, never to do anything against Ardyn's wishes, ever. It was farther than he'd ever actually go, but he almost wanted to do it anyway.

Nothing was stopping him really. Only the tiny shred of morality he had somehow clung onto after all these years. The tiny part in the back of his mind that told him even he had limits to his cruelty. He wouldn't do it... but he knew exactly what he'd do if he didn't feel compelled to be decent - if he disregarded the fact that Prompto was only a child, that Ardyn truly disagreed with rape - under any circumstance. If he didn't hold himself back, if he really let Prompto suffer the punishment he'd earned by being difficult, Ardyn wouldn't stop at anything...

He could literally tear Prompto's clothing off of him. Leave it hanging in shreds so he couldn't even get dressed again after. He could make sure to be violent about it, leave scratches and bruises... He could beat the shit out of him, just kick, punch, stomp on his fucking throat... Then pin him down against the ground, shoving his face in the dirt, making sure he got a good mouthful - so that he was choking over it... Then Ardyn could violently assault him. He wouldn't even try to be gentle. He wouldn't even need it to feel good for himself. Just as long as it hurt his captive. Maybe he wouldn't even use his own body. He could use a wine bottle, then slam it against the side of the boy's head after - knock him out, then throw him in the trunk and drive the rest of the way to Verstael. Give the man his little science experiment back bloodied and broken.

He'd cry that he was in pain, that he was humiliated, powerless... Completely fucking worthless and unloved... The naive, sheltered little friend of the prince would never feel safe and innocent again. The anger Ardyn had felt when Prompto disobeyed him would reflect back at the boy tenfold. He'd get what he fucking deserved...

But Ardyn wasn't a rapist. He didn't want to sexually assault someone - especially not a child. He couldn't bring himself to do it - no matter how much Prompto may have earned it. No matter how much he wanted to teach the child a lesson he would never forget. The boy was positively infuriating, frustrating, annoying... but he was still a child, and no matter what he did to piss Ardyn off, rape wasn't deserved. No one deserved that - especially not a frightened child, lashing out due to reasonable panic and fear.

Ardyn couldn't understand what the hell Prompto had been thinking though when he alerted the store owner to the situation. This boy was so jumpy, so scared… So why was he too fucking stupid to know to just cooperate? Ardyn flat out told him he'd kill the man in the shop if Prompto alerted his attention. It wasn't a vague threat. It was very clear. He seemed so shocked and terrified after it happened, but Ardyn had told him it would based on Prompto's actions. Prompto made sure it fucking happened...

"I'm sorry…" Prompto whimpered from under his captor, reminding Ardyn that he still had to deal with the little brat. "Please don't hurt me… W-we can just go back to the car… I'll go with you and I won't fight or anything. I'll be good from now on. I promise. You don't have to hurt me..."

Still staring angrily, Ardyn shook his head. "I do have to hurt you, Prompto. I told you I would. As I said before, I'm a man of my word. You disobeyed me and there must be consequences. But first, we need to get our supplies from the store and get back on the road."

"No…" Prompto choked, shaking his head as tears continued spilling down. "Please… I'm sorry… I won't do it again… Please don't…"

"Shhh." Ardyn demanded, placing a finger over Prompto's trembling lips. "You got your warnings. You didn't heed them. The only control you have left is how much you cooperate from here - whether you want to be hurt a little or a whole hell of a lot. The more difficult you are, the worse things will be for you."

Prompto swallowed, sticking his lower lip out in a pout as he stared up at Ardyn.

"So come along. Let's get our supplies and get going. Don't make this worse." Ardyn warned as he climbed up off of the boy and stood. "I will hurt you a lot more depending on how things go from here. If I have to chase you again..." Ardyn shook his head. "The next time I have to fucking chase after you, I'll hurt you so badly you won't be able to walk. You'll have more broken bones than in-tact ones. Child, you'll to wish for death before I'm through."

Prompto choked out another small sob, but stood up and didn't try to escape when Ardyn put a hand on his shoulder and started leading him back toward the store.

"I thought you and I understood each other." Ardyn frowned as they walked, noticing Prompto was trembling under his touch. "After that lovely chat we had in the car... I really thought we were going to get along from then on, that you wouldn't do anything reckless... I honestly didn't want to have to hurt you. I'm very disappointed…"

"I'll be good from now on…" Prompto whispered, staring at the ground as he walked. He was still shaking. "I was just scared… I didn't know what to do…"

"Yes you did. Act like everything was fine and not get that man killed. That's all you had to do." Ardyn stared, leading Prompto back into the store. "We're lucky no one else is here. So no one else has to die. Let's hurry it up so it'll stay that way." He suggested. "Go get my dagger."

Ardyn looked over at Prompto, who was staring at him with huge eyes, biting his lower lip and shrinking down, silently begging not to be asked to do that.

"Retrieve it, please. You're the reason it's in that man's chest and not tucked away where it belongs." Ardyn glared.

Prompto's eyebrows furrowed with worry and his lip stuck out in a pout, but after a moment of silent staring between the two of them, the boy looked down and headed behind the counter. Ardyn heard a shaking whimper from the boy's direction as he collected the provisions they'd come in for - mostly cup noodles, water, and wine, along with a few other useful items.

"Come on." Ardyn nodded, heading back toward the door and allowing the boy the freedom to follow. He should have learned by this point that Ardyn allowing him to walk without being held onto or physically dragged along wasn't really freedom at all. He could technically choose not to follow, to try to run, to do whatever he pleased, but Ardyn would hurt him if he didn't do exactly as ordered. He had to have realized that by now.

Placing the provisions in the trunk of his car, Ardyn turned around and couldn't help but to smirk and raise his eyebrows when he saw Prompto holding the dagger up in front of himself, staring with angry, fearful eyes back at his captor.

"You're going to stab me now. Is that it?" Ardyn laughed, taking a step closer toward the boy. "I'd actually be very interested to see you try." He stared.

The boy remained frozen in place, holding the dagger up between them, looking like he really wanted to use it, but also looking so terrified that he couldn't possibly get himself to go through with it. His arms were shaking. Tears were shining in his eyes.

"It's all up to you, my dear. I'm leaving you freedom to choose your own fate. Whether your choices get you hurt is on you. Remember - cooperate and be hurt a little, for what you've already done wrong… Disobey and be difficult? You'll be hurt a lot. The pain you've already earned is yours to keep, but I'll gladly add to it." Ardyn raised his arms up, giving Prompto a lovely little window of opportunity if he truly did want to try to stab his kidnapper. "Your choice." Ardyn dared.

The boy's eyes shined with tears and his hands shook as he continued staring up at Ardyn, gripping the knife tightly.

"I murdered that man when you let your little mouth run." Ardyn reminded him. "Imagine what I might do if you legitimately try to kill me." He laughed. "Oh my... Whatever it is I'll end up doing to you then might just be the worst pain of your little life. Can you imagine? Attempted murder on your part? How do I contend with that? Something quite damaging I'm sure. It'll be a good thing the man we're going to meet has medical knowledge. That's for certain. He'll probably have to piece you back together when I'm through with you."

Prompto kept the dagger up in front of himself for a moment, staring with tears brimming in his eyes and a trembling lip before letting out a breathless whimper and looking down, holding the dagger in just one hand and bringing his other fingertips up toward his lips, then raising his forearm up to cover his free-falling tears.

"That's what I thought. Get in the car. We've got a while to go before nightfall. You'll receive your punishment then." Ardyn threatened as he stepped forward and took his knife back from the boy.

Prompto looked down, his posture defensive and frightened as he made his way toward the car, sitting down in the passenger seat, drawing his feet up, and wrapping his arms around his knees. He let out a shaky breath, closing his eyes and shrinking down as though bracing himself for something. Maybe he thought Ardyn was going to hit him. He wouldn't. Not yet.

Ardyn climbed into the driver's seat, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "You and I had a good thing going." He noted as he turned the key in the ignition. "You'll learn soon enough if you haven't already. Things go my way. There's no other option for you. You do as I ask, or you suffer. You've really no choice beyond cooperation... You can either do so right away, or fight, cause yourself unneeded pain and stress, and end up having to cooperate anyway."

The boy breathed in a shaky breath and shrunk down further, tightening his arms' squeeze around his legs and staring down. It was quite clear he realized now how foolish his actions had been. He was still with Ardyn - had made no progress in freeing himself... He only succeeded in getting an innocent man killed and causing his captor to become angry. He was in the same boat as before, only now Ardyn was pissed off, fully ready to take pleasure in deliberately hurting him.

Ardyn glanced over at his captive companion now and then as he drove. Prompto seemed entirely defeated now. He knew he had no choice but to cooperate, but he also knew at this point that he was going to be hurt either way - that he'd already screwed up enough that pain and possible humiliation were inevitable.

Focusing back on the road, Ardyn frowned. He wished Prompto would have just cooperated like he'd asked. There was no reason this trip had to be full of pain for the boy. Not yet. Not until they reached Verstael. Ardyn actually didn't really feel the need to hurt him at all. He just wanted cooperation.

Narrowing his eyes as he glanced toward the boy again, looking him up and down before looking back out the windshield, Ardyn contemplated what sort of punishment would be a good one considering the crime. He had to do something. Prompto had to know Ardyn's threats were serious - that not cooperating had a consequence. Even as Ardyn's initial anger faded and he didn't necessarily feel like hurting the boy would bring him amusement, he still had to make sure Prompto knew to take him seriously.

The shop keeper getting killed was a consequence on its own, but Ardyn did want the boy to feel additional pain for his actions. Someone else dying wasn't enough. Prompto needed to correlate something horrible done to him as a consequence of his own actions. He needed to know that being difficult would get him hurt. He needed to take Ardyn's demands and instructions seriously. Always.

Just the fact that the child was so obviously fearful, worn down, and defeated in this moment was a victory on its own. Ardyn had scared him enough that the boy had a chance to attack him with his own dagger and chose to give it back instead. He got into the car on his own… Ardyn was training him fairly quickly, really… He just needed the cooperation to be consistent. He didn't want these little moments of running off, screaming for help. Prompto needed to follow along at all times. It seemed he was close to achieving that goal, but not quite.

Now he just had to deliver on his promise of pain. Prompto seemed to fear sexual violence the most. That wasn't something Ardyn was interested in carrying out, but he wasn't opposed to Prompto being fearful of it - to threatening the boy with it. Since it seemed to be the child's greatest fear, it would be very useful to keep it as a possibility in Prompto's mind. It might be a good way to measure just how fearful of Ardyn Prompto was too - to make him think that was the punishment and see if he'd fight him. See if Ardyn could get Prompto to remain on the scene, unbound, even knowing that was what was coming… for Prompto to think he was giving in to Ardyn in order to avoid a worse version of the same punishment.

Ardyn could make the boy undress - tell him to do it on his own or be hurt worse… to make him think Ardyn was going to rape him either way - maybe a quick, less painful assault with cooperation, and a longer, more violent one if the boy made it difficult… He could test the waters - see if Prompto would take off his clothes on his own - see if he was scared enough to give in to his own worst fear to avoid further pain.

Ardyn figured if he could manage that - to get the boy to willingly undress, honestly believing Ardyn was going to rape him, that he'd have won this little game completely. It would mean Prompto understood that he needed to follow Ardyn's orders - no matter what. Even if it was his worst fear. It would mean the child understood that with Ardyn, things could always get worse, and that he needed to listen the first time, no matter what the demands may be.

Then of course Ardyn wouldn't really molest the boy after succeeding in this plot. Instead he'd beat him with his belt on all the skin that was exposed - his back, his arms, his chest, his butt, thighs, legs… Maybe ten good swings would teach Prompto not to fight back… and if Prompto made it difficult, it'd be twenty. If he made it really difficult, maybe Ardyn would actually sexually assault him after all. It wasn't what Ardyn wanted, but he could see himself maybe doing it if Prompto pissed him off enough. He was still just a boy, but a rather frustrating one at times…

Ardyn shook his head, blinking a few times and letting out a breath. He didn't want to resort to that. He wouldn't have to. Prompto was scared enough that it wouldn't be needed. He'd just beat him with the belt. Prompto could think that Ardyn might rape him, but Ardyn wouldn't actually do it. He didn't want to do it. Just as long as the boy didn't run, took his clothes off on his own… Beating him would be all that would be necessary.

Then he'd likely not run away again. Ardyn just had to make sure this punishment stuck in his mind - that it was a proper example of what the real world was like - no one was here to give the little brat a cushy, soft life anymore. Actions had consequences.

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	6. Chapter 6

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Chapter 6

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Neither of them had said a word since they left the roadside shop. Prompto was avoiding eye contact at all costs holding his breath every time the car slowed to turn, hoping that Ardyn would forget about his promise to hurt him. He said the punishment - whatever it was going to be - would happen when they stopped for the night. Prompto wasn't sure when that was going to be, but the sun had set about twenty minutes ago and they were still driving.

Prompto still hadn't had anything to eat or drink since the night before. He was actually starting to feel lightheaded, but he couldn't bring himself to speak to his captor, to ask for food or water. He knew it was right there in the trunk of the car. He saw Ardyn put it back there… The man had bought it specifically because Prompto requested it... But he couldn't bring himself to ask. He didn't want to call any attention in his direction, for any reason.

Prompto stared outside as they drove into the night. He had heard back in Insomnia stories of daemons coming out at night out in the wild. He wondered if it was true, if the huge, dangerous monsters might attack. Something told him Ardyn would know exactly how to fight back, but that didn't mean Prompto would be safe from them. He assumed the man didn't want him dead, or he'd have killed him himself, but that didn't mean he trusted Ardyn to protect him.

He looked out over the dark plains, narrowing his eyes when he could swear he saw movement in the distance. Maybe when they stopped, a daemon would attack and it would be just the distraction Prompto needed to make his escape. He closed his eyes and exhaled a slow, shaky breath. He never would have guessed yesterday at this time that he'd be hoping a daemon attacked him.

"Here seems a fine spot to camp for the night." Ardyn suddenly spoke up.

Prompto inhaled a small breath as he felt the car slowing. He felt like his stomach was doing flips inside him as his body began to tremble. Ardyn had promised this was going to be when he faced his punishment for calling attention to himself back at the store. Prompto still didn't know what the man would do, but he remembered all of the threats. He knew how strong Ardyn was, how easy it would be for the man to seriously injure him.

"We'll get a fire started, get you something to eat… My poor dear, you must be famished by now. We forgot all about that, didn't we?" Ardyn smiled toward him. "And you must be so thirsty. I'm surprised you didn't remind me. You poor little thing. It's been an entire day since you've had water, hasn't it?"

Prompto shrunk down in his seat. He hadn't forgotten about food and drink. His stomach was growling all day. His mouth was more dry than it had ever been in his life. He just knew he'd rather be thirsty and hungry than to talk to this horrible man, to draw attention to himself, or to give Ardyn the satisfaction of being able to decline.

"But first, we need to address what happened earlier. You disobeyed me, unfortunately, so there must be consequences. Please step out of the car and we'll get to it." Ardyn ordered, climbing out on his side and starting to make his way around to Prompto's.

Closing his eyes and letting out a soft breath, Prompto paused. Running hadn't worked out for him last time… but what was Ardyn planning on doing to him? How bad was it going to be? Was it even a little possible that if he ran now he might actually escape? They were in the middle of nowhere... it was dark. No people were around to potentially help him get away...

"Please do hurry along, sweet boy. We don't want to put this off longer than we already have. Let's get it over with so you can have a drink before you pass out from dehydration. You must be terribly thirsty." Ardyn noted.

Prompto swallowed a dry gulp, but forced himself out of the car, staring down at the ground and inhaling a small breath.

"Now, this will be short, sweet, and to the point so long as you cooperate." Ardyn explained. "I'm just as eager as you are to get this out of the way, so we can get back to being friends again. Do exactly as I ask, and it'll be over in ten or fifteen minutes. Alright?"

Prompto looked up with a frown to find that Ardyn was staring at him with raised eyebrows, waiting on a response. Prompto reluctantly nodded. He didn't really have a choice here. All he could do to defend himself was say no, fight back, or run. None of that had worked thus far. It just made things worse for him.

"Turn around." Ardyn instructed. "And pull your pants and underwear down to your knees. Then bend over the back of the car."

Prompto felt like his heart stopped. His mouth dropped open slightly as he stared back at Ardyn, feeling completely breathless, frozen, unable to move. Did he just hear that right? Was this seriously what the man was going to do? And he wanted Prompto to willingly go along with it?

Ardyn let out a small laugh. "Do I need to repeat myself?" He smirked.

Prompto's lip trembled as tears welled up in his eyes. His breaths were coming quicker after even just the suggestion - without Ardyn laying a finger on him. He felt like he was going to throw up or pass out. He couldn't believe this was happening, that Ardyn was going to make him do this... There was nothing he could do to defend himself. Running didn't work, no one would hear him if he screamed... and clearly he was no physical match for this man.

"Child, please do as I ask before things get worse..." Ardyn stared.

Prompto shook his head, taking a timid step away from the car. "Please don't…" He whimpered, bringing his fingers up toward his mouth and shrinking down. "I'm sorry for before… The man at the store kept staring, like he knew something was wrong… I panicked… I wanted to warn him that he'd get hurt if he asked and you heard him… I was scared. I panicked… I didn't know what to do… Please… Please don't hurt me, please!" Prompto rambled, his breaths growing quicker and quicker.

"This is the final time I'm asking. If I have to pull them down for you, it'll get very rough." Ardyn warned with a hard stare. "If I have to pull them down, I'll take them off completely, and you won't get them back. If I have to do it, I'll take off everything you're wearing, burn it in the fire so you've got nothing left... and then make you spend the rest of this trip in the car's trunk after I hurt you worse than you've ever been hurt in your life. This can be quick and clean, or it can be a struggle. If I have to work harder than I want to, I'm going to make sure it hurts. Very much."

Covering his eyes with his hands as he let out a shaking sob, Prompto shook his head. "Please… I'm sorry!" He begged.

"Turn around. Pull down your pants and underwear." Ardyn said once more, his voice betraying the fact that he was becoming frustrated with Prompto's hesitance to listen to his orders. "I won't say it again. You've got about sixty seconds until I do it myself."

Prompto continued crying, but he knew he had no choice here. He was no match for Ardyn, and the man was going to hurt him either way. He'd end up hurt so much worse if he didn't cooperate and he knew that by now. So far, every time Prompto fought back, he regretted it. It went against every instinct he had, but he had to do what Ardyn asked.

Still trembling, sobbing shaky, tearful breaths, Prompto turned around, reaching down toward his waist with trembling hands and gripping the waistbands of his pants and underwear, but pausing before doing as ordered. He wasn't sure he'd ever been more scared in his entire life.

"Don't make me do this…" Prompto whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut as tears dripped down his cheeks. He still wasn't sure exactly what was coming, and was very afraid to ask. He kept his hands on the waistbands of his clothing, squeezing them into fists around the material. He had to do what Ardyn asked. It seemed next to impossible to force his arms to even move more at this point, but he had to. Ardyn had already proven he wasn't bluffing when he said things would be worse if Prompto didn't cooperate. The boy's failure to do as he was told already got a man killed.

"You're so close, sweetheart. Don't be afraid. It won't be as bad as you're fearing. Not unless you make it." Ardyn assured him.

Prompto let out a rather loud, choked sob as he pulled his garments halfway down his thighs, immediately grabbing at the bottom of his shirt and tugging it down to cover himself. "Please don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me... Please…" Prompto breathed, squeezing his eyes shut and shrinking down.

As he held his shirt down to cover himself, Prompto felt his breaths coming in quick, shallow bursts. His vision seemed cloudy at the edges, and he was starting to wonder if he might legitimately pass out due purely to his own fear. He couldn't get himself to breathe properly. His whole body was shaking so much the breaths he did take ended with his teeth chattering.

Prompto let out an actual scream and flinched when he felt Ardyn's hand on his back, then his other hand on his arm. His scream turned into more shaking sobs as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to get himself to breathe.

"Shhh…. You're okay…" Ardyn whispered, running one hand around toward Prompto's waist and gripping his upper arm with the other, pulling him along.

"I'm sorry I wasn't… th-that I didn't do what you said… I'm sorry…" Prompto sobbed. "I don't wanna do this... Please don't make me do this... I'm scared… Please… I didn't mean to… I'll listen to you from now on..." He shrunk down, not fighting back or flinching away as Ardyn dragged him along with him, holding him up as Prompto stumbled over his feet the entire way.

"My dear boy, take a breath." Ardyn laughed. "You're not in pain now, hm? I haven't hurt you. No need to be so frantic. Take a breath. Calm down…"

"What're you gonna do…?" Prompto whimpered, his voice tiny, shaking, barely audible. He didn't want to know the answer. He wasn't sure why he asked.

"That's it… Small steps." Ardyn cooed, ignoring the boy's question. "We maybe should have positioned you where I want you before pulling your pants down, hm?" He laughed, both pulling and pushing Prompto along with him as he lead him back toward the car.

"I'm sorry…" Prompto whispered, his voice practically non-existent. He was so scared he felt like he might legitimately pass out. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing at this point - if he could be unconscious for the rest of this. He wondered if Ardyn would wait until he woke up if he fainted... if he wanted to make sure Prompto was alert for every second of it...

"I think I almost believe you, my dear… If you're truly sorry for something, you don't do it again… So time will tell if your words are true. Put your hands on the trunk." Ardyn ordered, gripping Prompto's wrists and placing them there himself, so that Prompto was partially bent over with Ardyn looming over him.

Prompto inhaled a sharp breath, unable to get himself to breathe it back out as he felt Ardyn's fingertips on his butt, running very slowly up over his skin. The boy squeezed his eyes shut and let out a tiny whimper. "I didn't mean to…" He choked. "I didn't mean to tell him. I was so scared…" He sobbed.

"Shhh… Thank you for cooperating this time." Ardyn whispered, his hand still running embarrassingly over Prompto's exposed skin. Skin that wasn't supposed to be showing. Ardyn should have never even been afforded the opportunity to see that part of him, much less put his fingertips there.

"Stop... Please..." Prompto whimpered, his words shaking as tears streamed down his cheeks. He squeezed his hands into trembling fists and shrunk down, but was afraid to really move, to try to step away, to fight back. "Please don't hurt me, Ardyn... I won't do it again..." He choked. "I'll do whatever you ask from now on. Please!"

"This is all I was asking from the beginning - for you to simply do as I request..." Ardyn went on. "Things would have never had to go this far if you'd simply obeyed."

"I will! I will from now on. Please! I won't ever try to run again, or tell anyone anything about this… I'll be good from now on… I'll follow you wherever you want, not say anything... N-never run..." Prompto promised. "Please… I'll be good…"

Ardyn laughed softly. "That's all I was asking, my frightened little fawn… I only wanted you to be a good boy, but you've been so combative… I told you you'd be hurt if you made a scene, and you made a scene anyway. You knew this would happen. Just learn from this experience. Don't make the same mistakes again, and you and I will get along beautifully. Play your cards right, and this will be the last time I have to hurt you."

"I don't wanna do this…" Prompto shrunk down as much as he could while still standing where Ardyn had asked, bent over the back of the car. He was so embarrassed, so scared… but he knew fighting back would only make everything worse. Ardyn was going to hurt him, like he'd said... If Prompto fought back, he'd only be hurt worse. He wasn't strong enough to fight the man off, nor fast enough to outrun him. Not now. Maybe if he weren't starving, dehydrated, and hurt… He might have been able to run faster than Ardyn then… but not now.

"This certainly wasn't how I expected our journey to go…" Ardyn commented, keeping one hand on Prompto's waist and running the other up his thigh, over his butt cheek, and up under his shirt. "I didn't want this to be… If you hadn't alerted that man… We wouldn't be here now. That poor man wouldn't be dead. This is your doing… You remember that."

"Please don't make me do this." Prompto begged, tears heavy in his voice as he shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "Please… I'm scared… I don't wanna do this… I'm sorry! I won't run again... I promise! Please don't make me do this…"

"Your skin is so soft." Ardyn noted, his mouth close to Prompto's ear as he leaned down, completely ignoring Prompto's begging. "You've never felt real pain in your life, have you? You were stolen away so your life could be soft, sheltered… and it sure has been, hasn't it?"

Prompto shook his head as his sobs increased in quantity and volume. He wanted so desperately to turn around, shove Ardyn away, and run. It went against every instinct he had to simply stand here while this man leaned over him, ran his hand over his exposed skin.

"That's why you're such a brat now, hm? No one ever told you no. No one ever made you obey a command, follow an order?" Ardyn growled. "You just do whatever you want back home, don't you. No consequences... Well, we have consequences here. When you're with me, you do as I say. You'll learn quickly who calls the shots between the two of us."

Prompto squeezed his eyes shut as tears rolled down his cheeks. "You call the shots… I kn- I know that… Please…" He whimpered. "I won't argue or fight back ever again. I promise. Just don't do this… Please. Please don't hurt me… I'm still j-just a kid... Ardyn, I'm only fifteen... Y-you ca-can't do this! Please! I'm sorry!" He sobbed, his breaths so short he was genuinely beginning to feel like he was going to pass out right here on the back of the man's car. He was so fucking scared.

"I didn't want to have to do this." Ardyn went on, leaning slightly away. "I just wanted you to cooperate. I wasn't asking for much. I was actually being very civil. I took you to a store, was buying you food… I didn't have to do that. You'd have lived without food for a few days. I was being nice. I wasn't hurting you… Now I have to. I still don't even want to. That's the worst thing. I don't want to hurt you… But you must know I mean it when I ask you to do something, to not do something."

"I do know!" Prompto gasped. "I know now. I understand… I'll do what you say from now on. Please! I'll do anything you say!"

"Too late for negotiations, little one. Sorry." Ardyn mocked. Prompto could hear movement behind him, like Ardyn was unbuckling something - maybe an article of his clothing.

Prompto looked over his shoulder with a frown and a small breath in time to see Ardyn sliding his own belt off, which made Prompto panic all the more. He truly was going to do it… Prompto could either stand here, cooperate, let it happen… or he could fight, make it difficult… Probably end up a lot more hurt in the end. Either way, the boy was doomed to be degraded and humiliated, to face horrible pain.

"Ardyn, please…" Prompto whimpered, unable to bring himself to turn around to face the man, for fear of making him more angry. His breaths were so quick in his chest. He was starting to hyperventilate… Maybe he truly would pass out. "W-whatever I can do to make you not do this… I'll do anything… Y-you can punish me a different way... Don't let me eat, or j-just hit me or something... Please don't do this. I'll do anything you want, but not this… Please…" He rambled, now feeling like he wasn't breathing at all, even though his quickly rising and falling chest and audible gasping indicated otherwise.

"I'm sorry, dear, but this is what's happening. Now hold still." Ardyn ordered, running his hand up over Prompto's back, pushing his shirt up along with it.

Squeezing his eyes shut and shrinking down, Prompto tried to think of something else as soft sobs choked up out of his chest. He wasn't sure how much this was going to hurt, but he guessed it was going to be a lot. He'd never done anything like this before. He didn't know what it would feel like... But he knew Ardyn was pretty big - tall... Prompto was only fifteen. He was fairly short, skinny, small... Ardyn's body was so much bigger than his. Whatever the man was going to do, it was definitely going to hurt.

"What's this?" Ardyn's voice sounded like he was frowning as he paused, his fingertips lingering over Prompto's back.

Prompto sniffed back tears, looking over his shoulder again, wondering what it was that was causing the man to pause.

"These marks… Who did this to you?" Ardyn frowned, looking up and making eye-contact with Prompto. To the boy's surprise, Ardyn actually looked genuinely upset. He wasn't smirking or laughing.

Prompto blinked. Was Ardyn referencing the scars on his back? They were fairly old… The first ones a whole year, the second ones several months. Prompto hadn't even thought about them since shortly after they were created. They weren't a big deal... He didn't think so at least.

"Who did this?" Ardyn asked again, glaring back at Prompto.

Prompto's lower lip trembled slightly as he shrugged and inhaled a small, shaky breath. Why was Ardyn angry about this? Would telling the truth make this situation better or worse? He didn't understand what was happening.

"Somebody beat you… Whipped you with something… Very hard... More than once. These two are faded." Ardyn noted, running his fingertips over two of the marks stretching from Prompto's lower back up toward his shoulder. "Who did this?" Ardyn repeated. "I'm not asking just to hear myself talk. Answer me." He demanded.

"M-my dad…" Prompto finally whispered, unsure why the man cared to know, and feeling guilty for making his father look bad by answering the question. He wasn't supposed to tell people about this, and it wasn't like it was something that happened every day or for no reason. The guy wasn't the warmest person ever, but he wasn't a bad guy. It wasn't like he just beat Prompto for fun all the time. The times his father hit him were few and far between. They were the man's most angry moments - not his typical behavior.

"Your father beat you with a belt?" Ardyn glared, his eyebrows risen.

"It was only twice…" Prompto defended the man in a small, shaky whisper. Prompto had kind of deserved it. He made some pretty dumb mistakes, and his father got angry. It wasn't just abuse for the sake of abuse... "A-and I messed up… It… It was my fault…" Prompto added in a tiny voice, still unsure what Ardyn was going to do with this information.

Ardyn let out a loud sigh as he shook his head. "These are such angry scars... Such rough treatment of someone seemingly so innocent and meek... He hit you so hard..." Ardyn noted, narrowing his eyes as he stared down at the marks, running his fingers across one of them again.

"J-just twice..." Prompto whispered, shivering and shrinking down slightly when a cool breeze caressed his exposed skin, reminding him if he needed any reminder that his pants and underwear were still down around his knees.

"Must have hurt." Ardyn noted.

Prompto swallowed. Of course it had hurt. The belt had hit him so hard it made him bleed. Prompto remembered being in the shower after each of the two times it had happened, watching red water swirl down the drain as tears streamed down his cheeks, as his breaths came and went in such short, shaky gasps that he had to sit down for fear that he was going to end up fainting due to being so upset by it. It had only happened twice, and Prompto did mess up... He did earn the punishment... But yes, it hurt. A lot.

"Your father shouldn't have taken you in if he was going to treat you like this." Ardyn noted, hesitating, then letting Prompto's shirt fall back down to cover the marks.

Prompto's breaths were still quick, now with confusion added into the mix as Ardyn grabbed his pants and underwear and tugged them back up.

For a moment, Prompto remained where he was, standing slightly bent forward with his hands on the back of the car. He felt his entire body shaking as he sniffed back tears. He didn't understand what was happening. Was Ardyn not going to hurt him then? Was he putting it off for some reason? Was a few little scars on his back somehow cause for Ardyn to change his mind. How could they be? It wasn't like he was the type of person who would feel bad that Prompto had been hurt. Ardyn himself was about to hurt him in a much worse way... So why would a couple scars change his mind?

"I can't do this." Ardyn grumbled, placing a hand on Prompto's shoulder for a moment, then pulling back. "Compose yourself. We're done."

"Y-you're not gonna…" Prompto breathed as Ardyn stepped away. He turned slightly toward the man, still feeling his body trembling as he grabbed down toward the waist of his pants and adjusted them, while also reassuring himself that he was in fact covered up again.

Ardyn shook his head, sliding his own belt back into place. "Does that disappoint you?" He glared.

Shaking his head no rather quickly, Prompto stepped back, bumping lightly into the side of the car.

Ardyn didn't further explain as he re-buckled his belt and stared at Prompto like he was angry. Maybe he was still mad. Maybe he was choosing a different punishment. Prompto honestly didn't understand what was happening. Maybe Ardyn had been planning to rape him, but thought his back looked gross and didn't want to personally get so close anymore. Maybe he didn't feel bad about the scars. Maybe he was disgusted by them and was just going to hurt Prompto in a different way instead.

Prompto frowned, biting his lower lip as he stared back. "Am- Am I still gonna be punished? Are you going to hurt me a different way?" He whispered.

Ardyn glared back. He looked really mad, but also somehow conflicted, like he wanted to beat the shit out of Prompto, but also didn't want to. Or maybe he really wanted to, but knew he shouldn't, since Prompto was still just a kid. But maybe he was going to do it anyway. Maybe he was mad still because Prompto told the guy at the store and tried to run. Maybe he didn't want to have to hurt him, but - as he said - he had to keep his word and punish Prompto like he said he would.

Still breathing nervous, shaky breaths, Prompto stared with wide eyes back at his kidnapper. "What are you gonna do?" He whimpered, feeling tears welling up as he gripped tightly around the waistband of his pants, so relieved they were back where they belonged, but still terrified that it wouldn't last, that something horrible was still coming. "I'm sorry I messed up..." He added in a tiny voice.

"I won't do anything." Ardyn stared.

"Y-you won't?" Prompto breathed.

"No. We're done. As I said." Ardyn glared.

"Does this mean… Are… are you going to still do something later?" Prompto whispered. "Do I still have to be punished for what happened at the store?"

Ardyn closed his eyes, shaking his head again. "That man's death is punishment enough. Don't you think?" He stared back with a frown.

Prompto nodded. He did think so. That man's death was Prompto's fault. That was a huge punishment. Worse than any sort of physical pain Ardyn could cause toward him. Prompto had to live with that guilt forever now, knowing that if he didn't look at the guy, if he didn't go up to him and talk… He'd be alive still. The man might have had children at home, a spouse… Prompto got someone's husband, someone's father, someone's uncle, brother, or friend killed…

"Why don't you get a fire going. Over there next to that abandoned shed. We can sleep inside it after you eat. Or next to the fire if you prefer. It'll likely be warmer." Ardyn suggested.

Prompto stared, his eyes wide. He wasn't sure what the hell had just happened. Did Ardyn feel bad because of the scars? Did he choose not to hurt Prompto just because of that? There were only five marks, from his dad beating him only twice in his whole life. It wasn't that big of a thing. They hurt a lot at the time, but he was fine now, and he wasn't traumatized by it or anything. He didn't think so at least.

"Get the fire going, please." Ardyn said again, not looking at all amused as he headed toward the trunk, tossing Prompto some matches and then sorting through whatever else he had back there.

Prompto nodded, making his way toward the shed and looking for some bits of wood. He was rather confused, but he supposed he'd rather be confused than horribly hurt. He was glad Ardyn changed his mind, even if he didn't understand why.

xxxxxx


	7. Chapter 7

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Chapter 7

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"Don't daemons come out when it gets dark out here?" Prompto frowned, narrowing his eyes and staring into the darkness as he finished his second serving of Cup Noodles. Ardyn had unintentionally starved the boy for an entire day, and Prompto was making up for it now. He'd finished off two bottles of water and two Cup Noodles already.

Ardyn shook his head. "We'll be fine." He promised, frowning as he watched the boy slurp up the last of his noodles. Prompto seemed to be in a much better mood now that he wasn't running on empty, and now that Ardyn had informed him that the punishment he had promised to deliver wasn't actually going to happen after all. He looked less scared, seemed more relaxed. He was even chatting with Ardyn again - sort of how they had in the car before stopping at the store. The boy likely still feared Ardyn, as he should, but he wasn't visibly shaking or avoiding eye contact. He didn't look like he was going to throw up and wasn't flinching every time Ardyn moved or glanced toward him.

For some reason he couldn't quite lay his finger on, Ardyn felt guilty for forgetting to feed the boy for so long. At this point Ardyn himself had all but forgotten what hunger even felt like, but Prompto clearly hadn't. The boy had eaten the first serving of noodles so quickly. It was the only meal he'd had all day.

If Prompto would have reminded him during their drive after the store, Ardyn would have pulled over and gotten him something from the trunk. Prior to this little misadventure, Ardyn hadn't even thought about the fact that the child would need to eat during the trip over to Verstael's lab. He hadn't made it a priority, and Prompto seemed to have been too frightened to remind him. The poor kid must have been starving by the time he was finally given food, thirsty too, if the first bottle of water being drained within two minutes of him receiving it was any indication.

"I know a guy from school who says he went outside the city one night and a daemon attacked him, that he killed it... But no one really believes him." Prompto shrugged, looking down at the cup in his hands.

"Someone your age?" Ardyn frowned. It seemed unlikely. But maybe a teenager who had trained to fight could have - or one who got lucky.

Prompto nodded. "A couple years older. He's training to be in Crownsguard, but he's only seventeen. He just started training and I think it's going to his head... They might not even pass him through, so he's got no right to brag just yet."

"Well... He might have really managed." Ardyn stared, narrowing his eyes, trying to understand what exactly it meant that Prompto was being so casual now. It couldn't be that he wasn't still frightened. Perhaps he was just doing the only thing he knew how to do, trying to pretend things were fine so that maybe they would be, so that Ardyn would feel compelled to behave in the same fashion.

"You never know, I guess." Prompto agreed. "But he wouldn't ever say how he killed it. Like what weapon he used, or if he somehow killed it without one. Or even where he was... Like he just left the city and wandered out into the darkness for some reason? Killed the thing and came back? Why? Seems like there's too many missing details. And what kind of daemon was it? He just said it was big and dark and had sharp teeth and claws and red eyes..."

Ardyn nodded. "It could be true, Prompto. That does fit the description of some I've come across."

"Really?" Prompto frowned, looking down at his cup of noodles again, then glancing back up.

"Sure. They come in all shapes and sizes..." Ardyn answered.

"Hm. Well, I hope we don't run into any. I'm not even gonna pretend that I'm equipped to handle that." Prompto let out a small laugh. "Maybe when I'm older. I was thinking about doing Crownsguard, since I'm friends with Noct. Seems like the right thing to do. Gladio and Ignis just officially got in. I'll bet they could kill a daemon. Gladio definitely could. So if I train like they did, maybe I could too... Not that I'd want to go out and find them on purpose... Just so if I did get cornered by one, I'd know what to do."

Ardyn frowned. "Is that really what you want to do with your life? Spend all your efforts protecting and serving someone else?"

Prompto shrugged. "Sure... Why not?"

"To dedicate your life to someone who wouldn't do the same for you... That takes a certain degree of blind, ignorant loyalty and self-loathing..." Ardyn stared. "It never pays off in the end. Dedicating your efforts to someone else. Sacrificing parts of yourself to serve others..."

"Well, I think he would do the same for me though." Prompto pouted. "It's what friends do - even if it would technically be my job to look after him, I'm sure he'd defend me too if need be. He's really supportive, and I can tell he worries when something's not right with me. He always makes sure I'm okay. He's the best friend I've ever had."

"Is he?" Ardyn laughed. He couldn't imagine the spoiled little prince ever giving a damn about anyone other than himself. He probably enjoyed the fact that Prompto worshiped him, but that was quite likely the extent of their so-called friendship.

"We've only been friends for a little less than a year, but..." Prompto trailed off, shaking his head and then shrugging before continuing. "Well, I've not had other friends before Noct... but he's a really good friend. I feel like I can relax around him, like sorta be myself in a way I was too scared to with other people. I kind of like to think he makes up for all the years I had no one."

Ardyn exhaled and shook his head. What would this boy know of friendship? Of loyalty? He said himself that he'd never had friends before the prince. He was likely just happy to finally have another human being who would so much as talk to him. Noctis couldn't possibly be capable of reciprocating this boy's love and loyalty. Prompto was nobody - even worse than nobody. He wasn't even a Lucian. He was created to help destroy the prince's life.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Prompto frowned after a moment of silence.

Ardyn silently shook his head, offering a slight smile. Ardyn didn't need to eat to stay alive. He still tried things here and there, if they looked exceptionally good, but didn't eat just for the sake of eating. He enjoyed food if it was high quality, and this was not.

Prompto carefully placed his cup on the ground next to him, frowning and looking down again. "I really am sorry I made a scene at the store." He blurted. "I wish I hadn't."

Ardyn exhaled. He felt strangely guilty about that now. Not about killing the shop keeper. That man meant nothing to Ardyn, and killing him did serve a purpose in showing Prompto what disobeying could lead to. The boy should have by now learned the very valuable lesson that Ardyn wasn't bluffing when he said bad things would come from not following his orders.

But Ardyn's actions after the fact were nothing short of cruel at this point and not in a way he could feel proud of. He enjoyed toying with people, making things into twisted games... but this was different. It wasn't quite so satisfying to scare someone, to hurt someone... when that person was an innocent young boy who'd already suffered abuse in his life. Prompto wasn't attempting to best him, to prove himself stronger, smarter, or more capable. He was just trying to survive.

Ardyn had already killed someone in front of the boy, then went ahead and further scared the hell out of him by threatening something entirely inappropriate, which Prompto didn't deserve... and even going so far as to make the boy pull down his pants and stand there thinking that was what Ardyn was going to do... Ardyn had put his hand on the boy's skin, trying quite deliberately to mislead and terrify him. It was no accident... Not a heat of the moment thing. Ardyn had purposefully devised the plan with the intent of cruelty. He wanted Prompto to think Ardyn was going to rape him. He'd laughed quietly to himself while the child trembled and begged not to be hurt. He had thought it was funny that Prompto honestly believed Ardyn was going to do it. But it wasn't funny. It was sick, far over the line... but Ardyn hadn't cared at the time. He cared now. He felt gross now.

It was even something he thought about for hours before finally doing it. He had ample time to change his mind, to realize making this terrified fifteen year old boy think he was about to be raped was beyond cruel, that forcing him to pull down his pants and stay still while Ardyn put his hand on him was inappropriate, too far, much more cruel than he needed to be... If he could go back, Ardyn wouldn't have reacted like that. Prompto's failure to do as ordered had made him so frustrated toward the boy, so eager to make him suffer for it...

But he wished he hadn't taken it in that direction. He could have simply threatened to break the boy's arm, started twisting it, made sure it hurt, kept going until Prompto was sobbing, begging him to stop, then easing up and letting it be a warning of what would come if Prompto stepped out of line again. He could have left an impact without doing what he did. Even knowing himself that rape wasn't something he'd actually follow through with, threatening the boy with it had been too much.

It wasn't like the young man was being defiant just for the sake of being difficult. He was terrified, and with good reason. Prompto was so scared of being hurt, and he'd been hurt before. He wasn't overreacting when he sought out help. He wasn't being unreasonable. Ardyn was unreasonable when he chose to punish the child how he did.

"I didn't know what you were gonna do to me if I stuck around, and the guy was staring like he knew before I even said anything…" Prompto went on, staring at the ground as he spoke. "You said you'd kill him if I made a scene, and I felt like the scene was making itself… I panicked… I'm not trying to make excuses... I know you told me not to say anything, and I did anyway... J-just... I was so scared and I guess... Just... Th-thank you for not going through with hurting me..."

"Don't worry about it. That's done." Ardyn frowned, feeling almost nauseated by the fact that this child was thanking him right now. Prompto honestly believed Ardyn was seconds away from raping him. He was thanking the man for not doing it. Ardyn didn't deserve thanks for that, and he felt disgusting hearing it. Like Prompto believed he had to grovel to his kidnapper to earn the right not to be molested. Like perhaps Ardyn would change his mind and hurt him that way if Prompto didn't say the right words, didn't show proper appreciation for being spared.

"I won't tell anybody else... If we see anyone, that is." Prompto promised. "I think... the words kinda came out of my mouth without my permission almost... Like I weighed my options for a second... thinking about if I should'a said something or not... and the words spilled out before I was ready..."

Ardyn shook his head. "That's in the past now. No more scenes from here on… Though I don't plan on running into any more people until we get there." Ardyn noted. "And the only person we'll run into then is the person we're going to meet. You can make all the scene you want then. He won't care."

Prompto's eyebrows rose as he perked up. "Where exactly are we going though?" He asked. "You kinda didn't answer me before..."

Ardyn narrowed his eyes. He didn't want to give away too much. Not that it mattered. The boy wasn't in the position to refuse. He was going to meet Verstael, whether he wanted to or not.

"Where you're taking me… my real family is there?" Prompto asked when Ardyn ignored his initial question.

"Yes." Ardyn finally answered. "One man. He'll know you."

"Who is he? Is it my real dad?" Prompto asked, a glint of hope and excitement in his eyes.

"In a way, yes… but he's not exactly the fatherly type…" Ardyn grimaced, wondering why he was starting to feel guilty about this too. He had no reason to care what happened to this boy. Just earlier today, he wanted to see him suffer. He wanted to hear him moan in pain and cry in fear… so why now was he having second thoughts about handing him over… Just because he had scars on his back? Because his adoptive father had beaten him on occasion? Was that really enough to win Ardyn's sympathy?

Perhaps it was just because he'd gotten the wrong idea about the boy from the start. He'd gone through the whole first day of this journey thinking the child was a privileged little brat. He had his own bedroom, an expensive camera. He was friends with the fucking prince… The boy spent his time playing video games and strolling around the city like he hadn't a care in the world.

But Prompto's life wasn't all it looked to be. His parents neglected him. They were never there… Then when they were there, they were abusive. They beat their child hard enough to leave lasting marks. Maybe not often, but they did it… Ardyn could imagine Prompto at home, behind closed doors - where his friends and teachers couldn't see him... kneeling down on the floor with his shirt off, sobbing while his own father beat him hard enough to cut into his flesh. It had to have bled at the time. It probably bled quite a bit considering there were still scars there - two different sets.

It was hard to believe Prompto could have possibly done anything to deserve it - especially from the people who adopted him - who were supposed to protect and love him... The people who were supposed to be more understanding and forgiving of his mistakes than anyone else in the world... The poor child was created in a lab, stolen from that lab by someone who felt sorry for him... And then ended up with a man who beat him.

And that was just what Ardyn had been made aware of. He had scars from two beatings. What else had happened that didn't leave lasting marks? It wasn't like Prompto was going to freely confide in Ardyn and tell him about any of it if there was more to the story. If a man would beat his son hard enough to leave scars, surely he'd backhand the boy for talking too much, grab his arm too hard if he tried to walk away during an argument. Surely there was more.

"It'll be good to know where I come from though, even if he doesn't want to be in my life… Just to have answers…" Prompto whispered after a few moments of silence. "W-will you take me home after? If he doesn't want me… O-or if I don't want to stay... If he's not nice or we just don't get along great... C-can I go home?"

Ardyn closed his eyes and exhaled. "To your abusive adoptive parents?" He glared.

Prompto swallowed, looking down. "They're not abusive… They just aren't around a lot… and when he hit me, it was just a few times, and it was my own fault…"

"Oh, was it?" Ardyn forced a laugh. "How so?"

"Well… I broke a chair last year, on accident… But I hid it and didn't tell him. I put the whole chair in the dumpster, and the trash man took it… and then my dad was looking for it, and I finally told the truth, and he was mad that I threw it away, because he could have fixed it, and I guess it was an expensive chair... It was a really old chair and I think it belonged to his grandparents and it was irreplaceable... and I should'a just told the truth…" Prompto rambled.

"So he beat you with a belt?" Ardyn raised his eyebrows. It seemed a rather harsh reaction to an accident. And last year Prompto would have been merely fourteen. Even more a child than he was now. "You accidentally broke something and he beat you hard enough to leave scars?"

"Yeah… Then the other time, a couple months ago… I borrowed his car… And I hit a pole… Like a lamp post… I don't have a license to drive… I didn't hit it that hard, but it dented the front of the car. He was really mad. I just wanted to practice, to show my friend Noct that I knew how to drive…" Prompto frowned. "I understand why he was mad. The chair was priceless, and the car was really nice too... I shouldn't have hidden the chair, and I should have never tried to drive the car. It wasn't mine to be messing around with. I messed up."

Ardyn shook his head. "Stupid kid stuff." He noted.

"Yeah… It was kinda dumb. I messed up… and he punished me. It wasn't like abusive…" He persisted.

"Well, it was. He left scars." Ardyn reminded the boy. "You don't get scars from a harmless little slap on the wrist. You get scars from a belt hitting your back so hard that it cuts into you. At the time, you'd have had blood flowing down your back... It would have stung like fire. You must have cried so hard, felt so betrayed... It had to have hurt... Do you think you deserved to be beaten so hard for an accident? For a panicked over-reaction? For a dumb mistake?"

"No worse than what you were about to do." Prompto pouted, for some reason determined to defend his abusive father. "He hit me because I screwed up... I screwed up with you and you killed someone... and you were gonna-" He cut himself off with a small breath, biting his lower lip, looking away, and swallowing.

Ardyn narrowed his eyes. Prompto was right. Ardyn was about to beat him too… in the exact same way. It was Ardyn's intent to hit him hard too - to leave marks, to cut into his skin, to make sure it stung so badly he wouldn't be able to lay on his back or sit down for weeks after without being in horrible pain. Prompto didn't even realize that's what he was going to do. The boy still thought Ardyn was five seconds away from raping him.

But Ardyn wasn't Prompto's parent. He was his kidnapper. Ardyn wasn't even going to pretend to be a good person. He fully understood he was being cruel when he stole this child, killed a man in front of him when he tried to get away. His intent to beat him was cruelty. He wanted to hurt him - fully because Prompto attempting escape was annoying - a bump in the road toward his plot to deliver the boy to a man who would surely hurt him in some way or another. Ardyn was well aware that beating Prompto with his belt would have been abusive.

The lack of a response from the man must have had Prompto second-guessing his choice to point out Ardyn's abusive gestures, because within a few seconds of the accusation, he was taking it back, nervousness dripping from his tone.

"I mean… Y-you didn't do it though… and you won't… right? And I did mess up… I understand why you were mad... But you won't…" Prompto stared with huge eyes.

"I won't do it." Ardyn assured him. "Not this time. That was your one free shot. No more running or trying anything stupid. That was the one time you're getting a free pass. Your parents shouldn't hit you because they've got a duty to protect you, to love you unconditionally. I don't. I'm not your parent. I never agreed to to be decent toward you. Next time, I'll have to hurt you. And considering all the warnings? I'll have to hurt you very badly..."

Prompto shook his head. "There won't be a next time. I'll be good…" He breathed, his eyes wide.

"Good." Ardyn forced a smile. "As I've said - I don't want to have to hurt you. But I do need you to take me seriously, and if that's what it takes..." He trailed off.

Prompto bit his lower lip and shook his head. "I won't run or scream or anything." He promised again.

"You shouldn't feel that you have to, my dear." Ardyn frowned. "Besides for when you've made a commotion or otherwise disobeyed me, have I ever hurt you?"

"Well... You grabbed me and drugged me... like right away..." Prompto whispered, looking down.

Ardyn smiled. "Because you wouldn't cooperate. All you've got to do is what I say, and I won't have to chase you, grab you, hold you down... That's all your fault."

"I was scared..." Prompto grimaced.

"Fair enough. But you should know now you don't have to be." Ardyn stared. "As long as you don't make a scene or try to run, I won't hurt you."

"Okay." Prompto nodded, looking somewhat nervous still.

"I actually find traveling together isn't so bad. Don't you? Listening to music, camping out under the stars..." Ardyn smiled toward his companion. "I know I've kidnapped you... I'm not oblivious to that... I won't pretend to be surprised that you're upset about being here against your will... But I find you do make a better travel partner than I'd have originally thought."

"Really?" Prompto breathed out a small breath forcing a small smile, then frowning again and swallowing nervously.

"Of course. When you're not being a mischievous, naughty, scheming little devil... I don't mind sharing my time and space with you at all." Ardyn shrugged, actually meaning it in this moment. Prompto's existence had kind of annoyed him at first, but the boy was actually somewhat misunderstood. He was more complicated than he looked, and his most annoying moments - when he ran, screamed, thrashed, kicked, cried... they were of course perfectly understandable. He was terrified. Ardyn had made sure of it.

"I don't spend a lot of time with other people." Ardyn noted after a moment of Prompto offering no contribution to the conversation. "We may have very little in common, but it's nice to have company."

Prompto laughed nervously, looking down for a moment, likely searching for a response. Obviously he wasn't enjoying this adventure. It had lasted about 24 hours thus far and Prompto had been drugged, hit, choked, threatened, tackled to the ground... He'd watched a man get killed for trying to help him. Regardless of the fact that Ardyn gave him food, let him listen to music, and listened to his stories about his friends from school, to Prompto this whole event was terrifying.

The boy wasn't chatting with Ardyn because they were becoming friends. He was just trying to survive, to make conversation to keep the dangerous lunatic who'd violently abducted him from getting pissed off and hurting him. If Ardyn was starting to feel a bond with this child, it was very likely one-sided. He realized that.

"It doesn't have to all be bad." Ardyn went on. "We've both done things I'm sure we regret, but we can turn this around, be more decent and cooperative... I think we can agree to get along and enjoy each other's company as best as possible from this point. We've each gotten on the other's nerves, and if we adjust our behavior accordingly, this can be more pleasant for both of us. Don't you agree?"

"Yeah." Prompto whispered, looking up with wide eyes, but shrinking down slightly and hugging his arms around himself. He looked scared.

"I'm not suggesting anything nefarious, child." Ardyn frowned. "Only that we don't need to be miserable through this. Try to enjoy yourself. This adventure started off on the wrong foot, but we've got some comforts. Food, music, conversation... You don't need to be frightened or uncomfortable. Just don't disobey me and we'll be fine."

"Okay... I wasn't trying to be like unappreciative or anything... Um... Th-thanks for the noodles..." Prompto trailed off, sticking out his lower lip in a pout and looking down again.

Ardyn couldn't help but to laugh. "I'm sorry I had to be so rough before... It doesn't need to happen again. Just don't try to run or draw the wrong kind of attention, and we'll be fine."

Prompto nodded, still staring at the ground. Obviously the boy was still uncomfortable. Ardyn might not have minded sharing his time and space with the child, but Prompto was scared. He was a victim of kidnapping. He'd had a man murdered right in front of him. He wasn't going to just decide Ardyn was his buddy after all that.

"Let's move on, shall we?" Ardyn frowned. "Things will be better between us from here." He assured the boy. "Have you had enough to eat?"

Prompto nodded and smiled slightly. "Yes, thank you."

Ardyn nodded as well, glad to see changing the subject had so quickly eased the tension.

"So this guy, my dad… He's not really that nice?" Prompto asked with a frown, scooting around the fire and slightly toward Ardyn when the breeze started blowing smoke in the boy's direction.

"No… I'm afraid he's not the kindest man I know… But he is where you come from… and I do think he wants to meet you." Ardyn answered.

"How did I end up all the way in Insomnia?" Prompto frowned.

Ardyn shook his head. "Someone stole you from him."

Prompto inhaled a small breath. "Really? My parents did? They stole me?"

"I don't think so." Ardyn answered. "I'm not sure how they ended up with you. It was someone else who took you."

"Oh…" Prompto frowned, looking toward the fire for a moment, then back toward Ardyn. "So where does my dad live? And you said he's like… kind of my dad… How does that work?"

"I won't get into it exactly. He's your closest biological relative, but it's not so cut and dry as father and son. You might not understand even if I tried to tell you… He lives quite far from the city, but we're actually meeting him in a secret lab nearby. It's in the distance, way out in the plains past Cauthess, hidden under an unassuming building." Ardyn explained.

"Is he a scientist?" Prompto's eyebrows rose.

"Yes… I suppose you could say so…" Ardyn answered with a small nod. "Would you be a dear and go get my wine out of the car's trunk?" Ardyn asked, tossing Prompto the keys.

The keys landed in front of the boy and he looked down at them with a small breath. Ardyn could see the wheels turning in Prompto's mind. He was still thinking of how to escape. He stared down at the keys, most definitely wondering if he'd have time to jump into the car and take off before Ardyn could stop him. He already admitted to being unable to properly drive, so it was unlikely... but Ardyn could tell the boy was considering it. Perhaps he hadn't learned a damn thing from Ardyn's threats after all.

Ardyn narrowed his eyes, staring at Prompto as the boy picked up the keys and looked back at him. He inhaled a small gasp before looking away, then headed toward the car.

"Hurry back, Love." Ardyn called after him, watching him the whole way. He could tell the boy was well aware of the fact he was being watched. Prompto wasn't going to try to jump in the car and speed off. He wouldn't dare now.

But it did make Ardyn wonder what would happen if he pretended to fall asleep. Ardyn had no need for sleep, but Prompto didn't know that. If the boy thought Ardyn was asleep, would he try to run off again? Had he not learned his lesson? Was Ardyn's guilt unfounded? Perhaps he did need to be overly harsh to get his point across. Perhaps he hadn't even been harsh enough. Maybe he should have delivered on his promise and actually hurt the child - not rape of course, but perhaps he should have beaten him, tied up him, made it to where he'd be physically unable to escape.

"Thank you. Would you like some?" Ardyn offered with a raised eyebrow as he took the bottle and the keys back from the boy.

Prompto shook his head no, heading back to where he'd been sitting before.

"You sure? It'll help you sleep." Ardyn noted, taking a drink himself. "It always helps me at any rate. A little can go a long way. Especially for someone like you. Your tolerance must be so low… You're young, small… if you don't drink regularly, one glass will hit you hard - in a good way."

"No thanks." Prompto whispered, staring at Ardyn like the man was about to grow two heads.

Ardyn frowned, taking another drink of the cool liquid. Prompto seemed to be unreasonably nervous around the subject of alcohol. He did the same thing back at the store when Ardyn asked if he wanted any, acting like the man had just told him he was going to beat the shit out of him.

Maybe that's why he was so worried about it. Perhaps the boy had a history of someone he knew mistreating him after drinking. The boy's father beat him. Ardyn knew that much. Maybe on the occasions he did that, he'd been drinking too. Or maybe Prompto had suffered through more than the rare beating. He had marks from being beaten twice... there were other ways he could have been hurt. Ways that wouldn't leave visible scars. Maybe that would explain his fear of sexual assault too - maybe he'd already experienced it.

"Does your father drink?" Ardyn wondered.

"No." Prompto breathed. "Not really. Every now and then, like everyone else." He shrugged.

Ardyn narrowed his eyes. "Does he hurt you when he's been drinking? When he beat you, was he drunk? Does it make him angry?"

Prompto quickly shook his head no. "He doesn't…" He whispered. "He's not abusive… He doesn't just get drunk and beat me up for no reason. He hit me when I did things that were dumb. When I broke things... when I lied and hid things... I told you that already… I just… It's alcohol, and I'm only fifteen… I don't think I should drink it…"

"It's harmless…" Ardyn assured him. "I won't allow you enough that it would be dangerous. Just a bit. It'll help you relax."

"I don't wanna relax." Prompto whispered, pulling his knees up toward his chest and shrinking down slightly.

"Oh… I believe I understand..." Ardyn nodded, finally putting the pieces together. Prompto didn't want to let his guard down - to relax in such a way that he wouldn't be able to fight off Ardyn if he had to. Obviously Ardyn's threats were still fresh in his mind. The man wasn't actually going to sexually assault him - not more than he already had - but Prompto didn't know that. He likely assumed Ardyn was trying to get him intoxicated so hurting him would be easier.

"I can only promise you it wasn't my intent to take advantage of you, sweetheart. My threats were just that - threats. I'll only harm you if you run from me… or if you make a scene in public." Ardyn reminded him. "The wine is merely a tool for relaxation. Nothing more. Nothing bad."

Prompto swallowed, staring silently across the fire toward Ardyn.

"I won't pressure you to drink it." Ardyn forced a small smile, wondering if Prompto did have an untold story behind this fear after all. It didn't matter, really. He was scared being inebriated would make him more vulnerable. He was afraid he'd be hurt. Whether he'd had an experience to fuel that fear or not was irrelevant. "And not to worry, dear boy. I'm not the type to get inappropriate when I drink, nor do I drink to excess... Gods, I haven't been properly inebriated in years. It's a waste of time."

"Okay…" Prompto forced a breathless laugh.

"We should get some sleep then." Ardyn suggested, lying himself back against the ground. "We've got a big day tomorrow."

"We do?" Prompto's eyes grew bigger as his brows rose.

"Of course. We're getting close to our destination… One more morning of traveling ought to do it… I hope you're ready." Ardyn closed his eyes, wanting to give the boy a perceived window of opportunity.

Hopefully the incident earlier this evening was enough that Prompto wouldn't do anything stupid, but Ardyn was indeed curious. If given the chance, would Prompto try to run again? Had he truly learned anything at all? Had Ardyn holding back and not following through with hurting the child taught him the opposite of the man's intent? It was perhaps a cruel test, but no one ever claimed Ardyn didn't have a bit of cruelty to him...

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	8. Chapter 8

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Chapter 8

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Frowning as he stared across the camp fire at Ardyn, Prompto considered his choices. This whole adventure had started off terrifying and had continued to get worse and worse. Even though Ardyn had backed up and not done the thing Prompto had feared he would, even though the man had given him food and chatted casually with him like they were friends, the boy still didn't feel safe. He couldn't forget everything leading up to the calm moments.

Eating noodles and talking about his school friends by the fire would have seemed perfectly safe and comforting if not for everything that preceded it. Prompto wasn't camping with his uncle, enjoying sitting under the stars... He was being held captive by a violent, dangerous psychopath. Every second of it, even when Prompto was eating, telling Ardyn stories, listening to the man talk - even when it seemed lighthearted, the thought remained in the back of his mind that he wasn't here willingly. Ardyn had kidnapped him. Ardyn killed someone, chased Prompto when the boy tried to run. He hit him, choked him, threatened to rape him... He moved toward actually doing it. He had come so close. Prompto's pants had been down, and Ardyn had put his hand on him. He was so close to doing it...

Prompto was only still with the man because he was afraid he'd be seriously hurt or even killed if he tried to leave. Even though the boy was doing his best to remain calm, to chat about everything and nothing to keep things from getting tense, what he really wanted was to go home, to never see this horrible man again... But he couldn't. He had to play nice. Although he was happy to have food and water, to be allowed to sit near the fire on his own - not being held down or tied to something - he was still scared.

Ardyn hadn't done enough good to erase all of the bad. It had only been a day since Ardyn took him, and so many traumatizing things had happened. So few decent things had. In fact the man being so back and forth made this all the more scary. Prompto didn't know if the guy would want to chat and joke with him like father and son, or push him to the ground and assault him. Besides for guessing the man's moods, following his orders, and hoping for the best, Prompto wasn't sure how to keep Ardyn from hurting him. He also wasn't sure going along with his kidnapper was going to lead to anything good. What was the endgame? That Prompto would be delivered to this man he was supposedly related to? Why? Why would Ardyn facilitate that? Who was the guy? What would he do?

From the start, this adventure had been horrifying. Ardyn had introduced himself by breaking into Prompto's house, demanding that he come with him, then tackling him back onto his bed and drugging him when he refused. Things had only gotten worse from there, when the man threatened to rape him just about as soon as Prompto woke up from the mysterious drug he'd been nearly suffocated with. Ardyn threatened to choke him and break his arm too... and then when Prompto got scared and tried to ask a man to help him, Ardyn killed the guy, chased Prompto into the desert, dragged him to the ground, hit him, choked him, threatened him... He rather bluntly told Prompto he'd get hurt later for what he'd done, then made him wait hours wondering what was going to happen.

Even if Ardyn eventually changed his mind for some reason and didn't actually do it, he heavily implied that he was going to rape Prompto as punishment for attempting escape. He'd even forced the boy to pull down his pants, walked right up behind him, and ran his fingertips up over Prompto's butt. He took off his belt, ran his hand up under Prompto's shirt. He had never been more scared in his entire life.

Ardyn didn't take it further than that. He saw the scars on Prompto's back and changed his mind... which was good, but not a guarantee that he wouldn't do it later. It wouldn't be the first time Prompto let his guard down with the guy, started feeling more safe, only to have the fact that he was a twisted monster become obvious again.

Back this morning in the car when they were chatting as Ardyn drove, talking about music... Prompto made a joke and Ardyn laughed. He started feeling more content then. He never forgot that the man had kidnapped him, but for a moment, he wondered if Ardyn wasn't so bad. It hadn't taken long for Ardyn to remind him just how much of a monster he was. Which was why Prompto still didn't feel safe even now, even after Ardyn changed his mind about hurting him and started acting civil again.

Ardyn hadn't gone through with whatever he was about to do before he saw the scars. The tone had shifted and his captor had offered him food and water. They talked more casually. Prompto told his abductor more about his friends and their life back in Insomnia... The conversation was mostly light. If Prompto didn't have the prior knowledge that Ardyn's tone could shift so dramatically without a moment's notice, he'd have felt okay staying here... Not okay, exactly - he did want to go back home - but he'd feel okay enough not to fear for his safety. But he did know that Ardyn wasn't safe, that he could get mad and lash out at any moment... Last time Prompto started feeling more content with his kidnapper, Ardyn had killed someone.

The man seemed to have fallen asleep several minutes ago. He was even lightly snoring. If ever there was going to be the best possible chance for Prompto to sneak away, it was now… Each of the other times he tried to run, Ardyn saw him right away. Up until now, Prompto hadn't gotten an opportunity to so much as take a breath without Ardyn knowing about it immediately. And now the man was actually asleep... Prompto could potentially have several hours to create distance between Ardyn and himself before his kidnapper ever knew he was gone. He hadn't gotten a chance like this yet, and might not again.

But he didn't know where to go. They were in the middle of the desert, in the middle of nowhere. Prompto wasn't familiar with the area at all. He had no idea which direction to go, where the nearest town was… He didn't know how long he'd be walking before finding help if he just started out aimlessly… Getting lost in the desert for days with no food or water wasn't ideal.

The alternative wasn't comforting either though. Not running away meant going with whatever Ardyn wanted - meaning he'd go to meet this strange man Ardyn kept talking about, with no promise that the guy was even really his father. The man might be worse than Ardyn. Or maybe he didn't even exist. Maybe Ardyn was taking him somewhere else - to his own house, to keep him locked in a room somewhere, hurting him whenever he felt like it for the rest of Prompto's life.

Maybe Ardyn was a serial killer. Maybe he just sneaked around, stalking teenagers, learning just enough about them to spin a believable story about knowing some interesting secret about their pasts so they'd go with him… Maybe he was taking Prompto to a dark cellar in the middle of nowhere - the cellar where he'd taken the other kids he stole… so he could stab him to death, strangle him, cut up his body…

How the hell could Prompto possibly know? The man's motives were so unclear. His threats were all over the place. Sometimes he acted like he and Prompto were on a fun road trip together, chatting about everything and nothing like they were family. Sometimes he got mad, threatening, rough... and in those moments, Prompto feared for his life.

Ardyn was a dangerous wild card. The desert was too… But the desert hadn't threatened to rape him. The desert hadn't made him pull down his pants. The desert didn't put its hand on his butt and come five seconds away from viciously assaulting him. Nor would the desert kill a man in front of him, blame him for it... or drug him, or punch him, or grab his throat and squeeze…

Closing his eyes for a moment and inhaling a steadying breath, Prompto realized he needed to take this chance. If he didn't, he was sure he'd regret it. If Ardyn was taking him somewhere good, he wouldn't have had to drug him and force him to go. The desert was an uncertain direction, but Prompto preferred that to all the dreadful possibilities Ardyn represented.

So he stood up slowly, as quietly as he could, and started walking.

As he made his way slowly away from the fire, he glanced back, noticing Ardyn was still lying on the ground, perfectly still and silent. He was still asleep. He'd never know Prompto was gone until it was too late for him to find him. As long as Prompto kept moving quietly and didn't wake him. He only had to get out of the man's sight before Ardyn woke up. For the first time during this horrifying adventure, his escape was within reach.

Breathing in small, quiet breaths, Prompto slowly allowed his pace to quicken. It was cold out here and he had no shoes, no jacket, no food or water... but he was making distance between him and his captor, slowly but surely. All he needed to do was find a car or a house, a store… anything where another human being would be within ear shot, where someone out in the world could see him, notice he was a young boy out in the dark all on his own, without shoes, shivering, bruised up… They'd have to help him.

Prompto walked on and on, still occasionally looking back toward the campsite. The fire was growing smaller and smaller as he made more and more distance. The sight of the tiny glowing thing in the distance made his chest fill with both hope and dread. He was going to get away… but he didn't know where he was headed toward. He didn't know if he'd find somewhere or someone safe. Maybe he'd die out here. Maybe he'd never get to go home again.

Staying with Ardyn, he'd have most likely been safe from monsters. Ardyn wanted him alive, or else he'd have killed him by now… so it stood to reason the man wouldn't let a monster grab him… But Prompto also realized the man was practically a monster himself. The other man Ardyn spoke of might be a monster too - Ardyn even went so far to say that he wasn't the fatherly type, implying he wasn't friendly and warm... Why would Prompto even want to meet him? It didn't matter if they were related if the guy was awful.

Ardyn also had food and water, the fire - warmth. The desert was really cold at night, and if Prompto got lost for too long, he might not find water and could die from dehydration… Maybe he could even freeze to death in the cold. He wasn't sure that it was cold enough, but it felt like it was. He couldn't stop shivering even as he nearly jogged.

Biting his lip as he glanced back toward the tiny fire in the distance, Prompto paused, but quickly shook his head, ridding himself of those foolish thoughts. Ardyn was not safety. Parts of him may have seemed preferable to the uncertainty of the expansive, dark, cold desert, but he wasn't safe. He was violent, cruel… a killer. Ardyn threatened to rape him. He made Prompto pull down his pants, put his hands on him, on his butt, under his shirt... had him bent over the back of the car. Prompto wasn't sure why seeing the scars changed his mind, but what if that tiny detail hadn't worked out that way? What if Ardyn went through with it? He was so close... What if it was still in the back of the man's mind? He could still choose to do it later... Prompto had to get away from him, even if it meant risking his life.

Prompto picked up his pace. He was far enough away now that Ardyn likely wouldn't hear his faster, louder footsteps, and from here on, the quicker he got away, the further he got away, the better. Ardyn couldn't track him down if he got far enough. How could he? He wouldn't know which way Prompto went. Not if there was no trace of him. He just needed to stay away from the roads - since Ardyn could get in his car and go up and down them searching.

Prompto walked faster and faster, toward some large rocks standing out in the middle of an otherwise flat stretch of land. If he put them between himself and Ardyn, it was yet another advantage for him. Ardyn wouldn't be able to see him if he happened to wake up.

As he neared the rocks though, he heard a strange sound, like an animal running… Small pebbles were shifting under something's feet. Dried plant life rustled as whatever it was moved past.

Inhaling a small breath, Prompto stopped in his tracks. Hopefully it was something small, like a rabbit or lizard… But it didn't sound small.

As he stood still and silent in the darkness, the noise stopped. All he could hear now were his own quick, nervous breaths. Had he imagined the noise? Or had whatever it was noticed him too? Had it stopped so it could watch his movements and decide how and when to attack?

Prompto frowned and shrunk down slightly as he looked around himself. It was so dark. He could barely see a thing. The large rocks looming in front of him could easily be hiding the shadows of monsters. He looked back toward the fire, then back toward the rocks, squinting his eyes to try to see in the darkness.

Just when he was starting to think perhaps there wasn't anything there after all, a low growl filled the air around him, followed by a dark form suddenly lunging at him, immediately knocking him off his feet and onto his back.

Prompto gasped and brought his hands up to cover his face, then let out a pained, frightened scream as he felt the creature's claws swat across his chest. Sharp, stinging pain radiated through his shoulder as he kicked the creature back away from him and grabbed in panic toward the injury.

Prompto crawled backward, stumbling and shaking as he did his best to keep his breaths quiet. He pressed his own hand over his mouth to stifle any cries, not wanting to be loud and give himself away.

He whimpered as he stumbled, his back hitting one of the large rocks as the creature, which he could barely see in the darkness, darted toward him again.

Letting out a shaking breath and a soft sob, Prompto scrambled up off the ground and ran closer to the rocks, finding two large ones close together and squeezing himself between them, trying to hide somewhere perhaps the monster couldn't reach.

As he wedged himself in as far as possible, Prompto couldn't help the terrified scream that tore from his throat when the creature's clawed hand swung between the rocks, right toward him, nearly reaching him.

It let out another horrible growling, snarling sound, snapping its teeth and swatting its arm into the crevice again, this time coming so close Prompto could feel the air move.

Prompto let out a shaky sob, breathing in a pained breath as he looked down and saw red spreading slowly on his shirt, up near his shoulder where the monster had initially clawed at him. He pressed his hand against the wound again, trying to slow the blood flow. What if he bled to death? Was the injury bad enough? What happened to someone who got scratched by a daemon? Would he get an infection? Would he turn into a daemon too? Assuming he even survived long enough...

The creature was still making horrible noises as it stretched its clawed hand in further, managing to grab at Prompto's upper arm, squeezing tight and starting to drag him back out.

"No!" Prompto screamed, thrashing and kicking, grabbing out toward the smooth, dusty surface of the rocks, trying to find something - anything to hold onto to keep the monster from pulling him away from his hiding place.

The monster only growled lower, yanking roughly at Prompto's arm, pulling so hard he feared the thing might rip the limb right off of him.

"Get off!" Prompto whimpered, his voice trembling as his heart pounded wildly in his ears. He twisted his body around, grabbing at the rocks, unable to manage to get a hold on anything. Prompto squeezed his eyes shut, choosing to throw his elbow back, apparently hitting the creature, which let go of him in time for him to stumble roughly forward, smacking his forehead pretty hard on the way down.

Prompto put a hand up toward his head moaning softly as he started to pull himself back up to his feet, only for the creature to grab out at him again, gripping his arm and pulling him out so fast and violently that Prompto was literally thrown to the ground outside his tiny, temporary safe haven.

As he hit the ground, all the breath was knocked out of his lungs. His vision swam for a moment, and by the time he could see properly again, what he saw was the monster pouncing toward him, sharp teeth and claws inches from his face before something pulled it sharply back.

A pained, guttural scream echoed through the darkness as Prompto drew his arms up to cover his head and face and pulled himself into a defensive ball. He didn't know if the monster had just been eaten by a larger monster or what, but he was all out of energy, all out of fight… At this point, he just hoped whatever had gotten the first monster wouldn't see him if he held still.

Prompto whimpered a breathless noise as he squeezed himself into an even tighter ball. He could feel the sticky blood from his injury soaking into his shirt. The chill air was making the blood cold too, making Prompto shiver even more than he already had been. He was pretty sure his forehead was bleeding too.

Hiding his face with his arms, shrinking down into the smallest little ball he could, Prompto squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to listen to what sounded like the first monster getting stabbed or bitten or something. It let out a horrible scream, then thudded to the ground. Prompto didn't even want to know what the hell had just killed it.

He couldn't believe this was how he was going to meet his end… He finally escaped Ardyn, was gone for a full two minutes, and was now going to be eaten by a monster - or by a bigger monster that ate the first one. Why was he so damn unlucky? How did he keep getting chances to run, and it just never worked out? He was completely free at the shop. He had the chance to ask an armed man to save him, had a chance to run out the front door and just flee all together... and his efforts only got a man killed, and himself hurt. And now he was completely free again - with even the benefit of his captor being asleep - and he was getting attacked by a daemon. He just couldn't win...

Prompto screamed as he felt hands on his arms, rather roughly pulling him up off the ground, out of his defensive position. Whoever or whatever was grabbing him was strong, yanking him up to his feet with seemingly no effort necessary.

"No!" Prompto screamed, thrashing and kicking, unable to bring himself to open his eyes as his breaths rose quickly and painfully in his chest and tears shook out of his throat. "Get off of me! Let me go!" His screaming quickly turned into frightened, defeated sobs as the grip around his arms tightened.

"You naive little fool." Ardyn's voice growled, the grip around his arms growing increasingly hard and painful as the man dragged him up off the ground.

"Ardyn?" Prompto breathed, blinking his eyes open as he felt what he was pretty sure was a rather unexpected surge of relief.

Against his better judgement, Prompto found himself grabbing toward the man, practically hugging him as he cowered against his chest, wanting for the moment nothing but protection from the horrible, terrifying creature that had just tried to gut him.

Prompto let out a shaky sob as he hid his face against his captor's chest. He could feel himself physically shaking. He knew he was hurt. The creature had scratched across his chest. Prompto had seen blood on his shirt. He felt the sharp, stinging pain from the injury. He had no idea how bad it was, if he might bleed to death, if he had any serious internal damage from it. He'd hit his head too - what if he had a concussion? What if he fell asleep and never woke back up?

He felt Ardyn's arm across his back as the man seemed to sort of half-hug him back, holding him close as he began walking back to camp, not really caring much that Prompto was stumbling quite a bit as he attempted to walk half-backwards along with him.

"You're lucky to be alive." Ardyn growled, his grip around Prompto's arm tightening.

Prompto opened his eyes, breathing out a shaky breath, not sure if he was more relieved or terrified as he looked up at Ardyn's face. The man looked angry. His grip around Prompto's arm illustrated that he was angry. It kind of hurt.

"Is it dead? Is it gone?" Prompto whimpered, cowering down toward Ardyn as the man dragged him back toward the camp fire. He tried to look back toward the rocks. Had Ardyn killed it? What even was it? It was still so dark. Prompto couldn't see anything. Not anything defined. Just shadows and vague silhouettes.

"It's a wonder you've survived long enough to reach fifteen, considering your self preservation skills are nonexistent." Ardyn growled. "As is your ability to learn from your mistakes. Did you not hear me ask you not to run? I'm fairly certain it's been said more than once. Do you enjoy pissing me off? Is that it? Are you fucking testing my limits? Because they aren't far."

Prompto inhaled a small breath, staring up at Ardyn with wide eyes. He had nearly forgotten about that at this point… He just tried to run away yet again… Right after Ardyn gave him what he described as his one free pass. Prompto didn't count on getting caught this time. He was so relieved to have been saved from the monster just now that he all but forgot that Ardyn was a monster too - a different kind... One who promised to hurt him if he tried to run away...

"I've been too forgiving." Ardyn growled, his grip around Prompto's arm tightening as he continued dragging the boy back.

Prompto shook his head, stumbling more than ever as he started to feel quite panicked and stopped wanting to make any effort to help Ardyn take him back. For a moment he'd felt like he had been saved, but he hadn't. Just transferred from the grip of one monster to another.

"I… I didn't… I wasn't trying to run…" Prompto breathed, feeling tears rising up in his throat. What was Ardyn going to do? He'd made himself so clear, that Prompto had no second chances left, that he was going to be hurt if he tried anything… "Don't be mad at me. Please don't be mad. I wasn't trying-"

"Do you realize how close you just were to death?" Ardyn growled, shaking Prompto roughly by his arm as he dragged him backward toward their camp. "Do you think I took you from home, drove with you for an entire day, made certain you were safe and fed… Do you think I did all that so you could run out into the desert and get yourself killed?"

Prompto felt his lip trembling as tears filled his eyes. "I didn't mean to… I-"

"Shut your mouth. Just don't speak." Ardyn grumbled, dragging him closer to the campfire. "I don't want to hear your voice… Your rambling excuses will only make me more angry. And trust me, you don't want to piss me off any more than you already have."

Prompto swallowed, shrinking down and squeezing his eyes shut as he stumbled along after Ardyn. He had a really bad feeling he may have just screwed up worse than he had yet. Ardyn had felt sorry for him and changed his mind about hurting him, only for Prompto to immediately turn around and disobey the man again. He wasn't going to let Prompto get away with it this time.

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	9. Chapter 9

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Chapter 9

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Ardyn stared down at the boy as they made it back to camp. He had followed Prompto from a distance when the child started sneaking away, only finally closing that distance and coming to his rescue when a daemon attacked. The naive little idiot would have gotten himself killed if Ardyn hadn't been there to prevent it.

Prompto had seemed relieved to see Ardyn at first, but his relief quickly melted into fear when he realized how angry Ardyn was. The man wasn't just his savior. He was reclaiming him from an attempt at escape. Ardyn was fucking pissed, and Prompto could tell.

"Please don't be mad." Prompto begged as Ardyn let go of him, leaving him near the fire as he headed back toward his car. Fortunately he'd picked up a medical kit back at the store. He didn't think he'd need it, but he should have known. This little brat was a magnet to danger. He was reckless, foolish, weak.

"What the hell did you think you were going to do out there?" Ardyn growled as he headed back. He noticed Prompto shrink down, staring back with huge eyes as Ardyn slammed the medical kit down on the ground, then shoved Prompto down so that the boy was on his hands and knees.

Prompto cowered down further, breathing in a shaky breath and closing his eyes. His body was shaking and he seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Were you going to just go become a daemon-slayer? Fight them off with sticks and stones?" Ardyn yelled, grabbing toward Prompto's collar and shoving him back so that his injury was more easy for Ardyn to see as he knelt down in front of the boy. "You knew daemons have a habit of roaming about at night. You were even the one to bring it up! This wasn't something you were unaware of... Why would you do something do reckless?" Ardyn growled.

"I didn't mean to…" Prompto whimpered, cowering down again, reaching a shaking hand up toward the injury scratched across his shoulder. He let out a pathetic, shaky sob and shook his head. "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. Please... I didn't mean to..."

"You spoiled little brat… You can't use that excuse every time you do something fucking stupid. You didn't mean to? You didn't mean to walk away? You didn't mean to? Your legs started moving on their own, did they?" Ardyn growled, grabbing toward Prompto's collar again and shoving him back once more since the boy had started to double forward defensively.

"I didn't… I was… I was looking for firewood… That thing attacked me…" Prompto breathed, staring up at Ardyn with tears shining in his huge, terrified eyes. "Please… Please don't be mad… I wasn't trying to run away. I promise. Please… Please… I promise… You don't have to hurt me. I was just looking for firewood. I got too far on accident. I didn't mean for any of it to happen..."

Ardyn narrowed his eyes as he inhaled and exhaled a few angry breaths. That was a flat out lie. The boy was shaking in front of him, cowering down on the ground. Blood soaked the collar of his shirt and part of the front. More blood dripped down from a cut on his forehead. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. He looked absolutely pathetic, and was likely fearing what Ardyn might do to him to add to his injuries.

"I won't do it again." Prompto whimpered.

Reaching down and gripping at Prompto's chin, Ardyn tilted the boy's face up toward him, examining the cut on his forehead. It wasn't bleeding much at this point. Blood had run down from the cut, over the side of Prompto's face and toward his jaw, but it had dried up already for the most part. It was a small injury - likely wouldn't even need treated, wouldn't scar.

Prompto swallowed as he stared back, his eyes wide and fearful. "What are you going to do?" He breathed, his entire little body shaking as further tears dripped down his cheeks.

Ardyn shook his head, choosing to address the injury first. He wasn't sure if he wanted to physically hurt the boy for this little stunt or not. He'd have to think about it a little more. Prompto disobeyed him. Ardyn warned him not to… But Ardyn had set him up, knowing full well that what looked to be an opportunity to escape wouldn't be passed up by the desperate young man. He also found that strangely enough, he felt more upset that Prompto had gotten himself hurt than by the fact that he'd tried to run. Ardyn had tasked himself with keeping the boy safe until he could hand him over to Verstael. His own little mind game had backfired.

He hadn't wanted Prompto to nearly get himself killed. He'd figured this would be more of an opportunity to prove a point, to remind the child that rules were still rules, even if Ardyn did change his mind on the one punishment - that he still had to obey... to let Prompto think he'd escaped only to reclaim him, maybe hit him, maybe demand that he spend the remainder of this trip with his ankles tied together and his hands secured behind his back - since he couldn't be trusted otherwise.

But it hadn't worked out how he wanted. Instead of feeling victorious and smug, Ardyn had actually felt genuine fear. When the daemon attacked and he was still too far away to help the boy, Ardyn had actually been frightened. He'd had a sick feeling in his chest - one he was entirely unused to. For a moment, he thought maybe the creature would kill the child before he got there. His anger now was not only with Prompto - but with himself. He'd allowed this boy the freedom to get himself into this predicament. It was partially Ardyn's fault that Prompto had nearly been killed.

Reaching down toward Prompto's shirt, Ardyn pulled it open at the top so he could access the injury across the boy's upper chest near his shoulder.

Prompto choked out a tiny, shaking breath, reaching up with a trembling hand and grabbing toward the shirt, pulling it back closed. "No... Please don't…" He whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut as his tears started to fall. The boy shrunk down even smaller, his voice shaking with fear as he shook his head. "Ardyn, please..." He sobbed, gripping the front of his shirt in tight little fists.

"Let me see you." Ardyn growled, slapping Prompto's hands away and grabbing toward his shirt. "This isn't an attempt at assault. I need to access your injury, you cowardly, weak little child." He mocked, pulling the shirt back again.

Prompto blinked his eyes open, inhaling a small breath as he stared with his mouth slightly agape. He licked his lips nervously, then grimaced as he stared back at Ardyn, who immediately set to work cleaning the three claw marks stretching across his chest near his collar bone. They seemed to have bled a lot more right when they were created than they were at this point. Ardyn could see why the injury had scared the boy, but it actually didn't look too serious upon closer inspection.

"They aren't deep." Ardyn noted. "You're lucky for that. It would have eviscerated you if I hadn't gotten there in time."

Prompto breathed in a sharp breath, staring silently at Ardyn as the man cleaned the wound. Cautiously, he reached a hand up and gripped near Ardyn's wrist, but didn't attempt to pull the man's arm away. Perhaps he only wanted to feel he was in control what little the gesture would allow - that he could try to pull Ardyn's hand back if he felt he had to.

Ardyn ignored the boy's trembling fingers on his arm and continued working, using the materials inside the first aide kit to clean each of the claw marks to the best of his ability. They weren't gushing blood at this point, but were still freely bleeding in a few of the deeper parts.

"Am I gonna be okay?" The boy whimpered, his voice shaking along with his body.

"From this, yes…" Ardyn narrowed his eyes, pressing a gauze pad over the marks. He wasn't sure still why he cared so much about this. Why was he cleaning and dressing this wound? Why was he upset that Prompto had gotten hurt? This was a lesson to be learned. He should have laughed when he saw the injury, told Prompto he'd gotten what he deserved for sneaking off. But Prompto didn't deserve this. He sneaked away because he was scared, because Ardyn was scary. The boy didn't deserve any of this...

Ardyn shook his head, ridding himself of these troubling thoughts. Prompto was Verstael's little clone - a worthless science experiment - a failed one at that. Ardyn didn't need to feel sorry for him, to be protective of him. "Hold this here." Ardyn ordered, grabbing Prompto's hand and pressing it over the gauze pad. "I'm moving your shirt further down." He explained, being sure to be transparent about his actions after pulling at the boy's shirt earlier without explanation had scared him.

Prompto swallowed and did as he was ordered, holding the pad over the injury as Ardyn found some medical tape to secure it in place.

"I was looking for firewood. It's cold, and the fire was getting small…" Prompto persisted with his obvious lie.

Ardyn shook his head, pulling Prompto's shirt back closed when he was done. "Did it hurt you anywhere else?" He stared, growing further frustrated with himself. If Prompto was still breathing, he was fine. Why was Ardyn asking these questions? Why did he care?

Prompto frowned, looking down at himself, turning his arms over one at a time. "I don't think so… Ardyn…" He looked back up, biting his lower lip, which was trembling as though he was seconds from crying. "Are you mad?"

"Only always, my dear." Ardyn stared, cocking his head to the side and narrowing his eyes.

"You're mad at me?" Prompto breathed, his voice shaking and his eyes shining with unshed tears. "Are you going to hurt me for this?"

Ardyn stared back through still-narrowed eyes. "I really should…" He mused. If he wanted the boy to take his orders and threats seriously, he needed to follow through... but he wasn't sure he even wanted to. "You were given ample warning. You knew better…" Ardyn reminded the child. "And I still owe you some pain for getting that poor man killed…"

Prompto whimpered and shrunk down, staring at the ground in front of him and squeezing his eyes shut.

Ardyn stared at the child, contemplating what he should do, what Prompto deserved, what Ardyn would enjoy… A part of him wanted to slap the boy, to shove him back to the ground and kick him, to call him out on his bullshit… Prompto just tried to escape again. Ardyn wasn't a fool. He knew the firewood story was a lie, and he wasn't a fan of being lied to.

If the boy had done this earlier in their journey, maybe Ardyn would have shoved him to the ground, held him down with an arm pressed hard against his neck, and punched him in the ribs. Maybe he'd have forced the boy to undress, tied his wrists together, and his ankles, taped his loud mouth closed, and made him spend the rest of the night in the trunk, naked, cold, terrified.

He knew something like that would scare Prompto more than anything. Being forced to undress scared the hell out of the poor child. If Ardyn demanded it again? Prompto would just sob and sob. He'd tremble, cry, beg… He would assume Ardyn was making him disrobe so the man could rape him. He'd be so scared. He'd deserve to be scared after what he'd done. Ardyn deserved to be in that position of power, to show the boy he was in fact not in charge. That Ardyn was… That disobeying the man would mean pain, humiliation, fear… A part of him almost wanted to do something like that, something horrible, cruel, degrading… Something that would terrify the boy so much he'd never think of running again.

A more prominent part of him wondered if he should even bother. The boy already got hurt thanks to his stupid choice… They were so close to arriving at the lab. The little annoyance would be Verstael's problem soon. What point was there in trying to teach him to obey when he was so close to being out of Ardyn's hands?

Ardyn also realized now that for some reason the thought of Prompto on the ground, crying in pain and fear, moaning as Ardyn hit or kicked him… Imagining the boy tied up in the trunk, naked, sobbing, fearing he was going to be sexually assaulted... It didn't make him feel as excited as it had earlier. He honestly wasn't sure he wanted to cause the boy pain and distress. It didn't seem like it would be as satisfying as it would have been earlier in the day.

"Next time you want firewood, tell me." Ardyn glared, humoring the boy's lies if only because he preferred not to see him in further pain, but didn't want Prompto to know he was letting this slide deliberately. "What you did was pure stupidity. It's not safe after dark. I can protect you if you stay near me. Running off on your own is a guarantee that you'll be killed. At night it is."

Prompto swallowed.

"Do you understand?" Ardyn stared. "If you distance yourself from me again - no matter the reason. Looking for resources, going to piss, chasing a god damned butterfly… I'll assume you're fleeing… I'll catch you, and I'll hurt you. You know I don't want to, sweet boy. Don't make me."

"Okay." Prompto nodded, his voice small.

"You may want to get some sleep now." Ardyn suggested, heading back over toward where he had been sitting before and staring across the fire at Prompto. "We'll arrive tomorrow. Maybe a couple hours more driving and we'll be there."

Prompto sat himself down on the ground, looking silently back toward Ardyn. He shrunk down slightly, almost like he was bracing himself for the possibility of Ardyn changing his mind. He looked ready to shield himself with his arms and hands in the event that Ardyn jumped back up to attack him.

"Get some rest while you can." Ardyn suggested once more.

Prompto looked toward the fire again, hugging his arms around himself and shivering slightly. "Do you have anything… like a blanket in your car?" He wondered, glancing back toward Ardyn with pleading eyes and a tiny pout on his lips. "Or an extra coat or something?" He added.

Ardyn couldn't help but to laugh. He'd kidnapped this boy - rather violently, scared the hell out of him, inflicted pain on him - on purpose… and now he was feeling like he was playing the child's parent. He was so needy… and for some reason Ardyn felt compelled to give a damn about those needs. He couldn't say why exactly, but the fact that Prompto was cold bothered him.

"It's okay… It's just cold, and… Never mind." Prompto looked away with a frown.

"Come here." Ardyn raised his arm out, offering to allow the boy to lean against him. Ardyn could wrap his arm around his shoulders, share his coat a little. He'd be warm in no time.

"Um…" Prompto stared, nervously biting his lip. "It's not that cold, I guess…" He scooted slightly away, hugging his arms around himself again and staring at the ground.

Ardyn shook his head and smirked. "I won't bite. Come sit by me. My coat is very warm."

Prompto hesitated, staring suspiciously over toward the man, likely still scared of Ardyn after the incident that occurred when they arrived here. It was Ardyn's own fault that Prompto wanted to be nowhere near him. He wasn't going to forget Ardyn scaring the hell out of him, making him honestly believe the man was going to sexually assault him.

Ardyn had done that on purpose - misled the boy, made sure he was as scared of him as possible. He wanted Prompto to fear him in a very real way. He wanted the boy to know he was completely without control here… But maybe it hadn't been the best idea after all. He didn't need to threaten him with rape. Prompto was scared of being hurt in other ways too. He could have just stuck to broken bones.

"You do realize I was going to beat you with my belt, right?" Ardyn finally gave in with a raised eyebrow. "I was trying to scare you by making you pull your pants down first and being vague. I knew you'd jump to that conclusion, but that was never what I was going to do. I wanted to use your worst fear against you… It sure worked, didn't it?" He laughed. "But no… I wasn't ever going to molest you. I was going to whip you, just like daddy… Not abusive at all considering it was your own deeds that led us there, as you say."

Prompto frowned, scooting further away from Ardyn rather than closer. Obviously what Ardyn thought would be reassuring was having the opposite effect.

"Oh, come on… If he's not abusive in your little mind, you can't claim to be angry with me for planning to do the same thing… And I didn't even follow through." Ardyn laughed. "He beat you with a belt… That was honestly my intention too. I only wanted rape in the back of your mind, as more incentive for you to cooperate. You poor dear boy… You really thought I would do it… I'm not a rapist… especially not a rapist of children. I'm nearly offended that you'd even think me capable of it."

Prompto was still frowning. His lip was even trembling, like for some reason Ardyn admitting that he definitely wasn't going to rape him was a bad thing. He looked like he was seconds from crying, but that was certainly nothing new.

"Come on then. Come snuggle with Uncle Ardyn. You said you were cold." Ardyn smirked, raising his arm up again, welcoming Prompto to come lean against his side and share the warmth of his coat.

Prompto shook his head. "That's fucked up." He grumbled, his voice tiny, trembling with unshed tears.

"What is?" Ardyn laughed. "Me offering comfort?"

Shaking his head, Prompto stuck his lip out in a pout. "You acting like you were gonna rape me… You making me think you would… Wh-why would you want me to think that if you're not a creep? I was-" Prompto cut himself off with a sharp breath, shaking with unfallen tears.

Ardyn couldn't help but to frown now. He honestly thought Prompto would be relieved to know that threat was empty, but he seemed really hurt by the admission. It was the largest obstacle between them, Ardyn thought - the biggest fear of him Prompto had - the biggest reason for the child not to want to huddle against him for warmth. Why wasn't Prompto immensely relieved and happy to hear those threats weren't going to be acted upon? That they were never a real possibility. Ardyn was admitting that Prompto's biggest fear of him wasn't valid - he should have felt safer now.

"I was really scared…" Prompto whimpered, drawing his knees up to his chest and hiding his face in his hands.

Shaking his head, Ardyn stared at him. "That was the point…" He frowned. "My dear… I'm sorry you're so distressed… I needed you to take me seriously…"

"I would have… J-just…" Prompto trailed off, looking down at the ground between them.

"I'm sorry…" Ardyn stared, wondering if his words were in fact true. Was he sorry for threatening Prompto with that? For making this innocent little fifteen year old child fear that Ardyn would hurt him in the worst possible way? Had he gone too far? Ardyn hardly knew the meaning of that. He took things very far. He killed people, hurt people, did whatever he wanted to serve his own desires… Was what he did too much this time? Too much even for him?

Prompto's lip trembled as he continued staring at the ground. "That's really messed up what you said... what you made me think..." He persisted. "Y-you made me pull down my pants... Even just you seeing... I don't just get naked in front of people, you know... I don't let people see that part of me... You put your hand there... You took off your belt... I thought..." He paused, closing his eyes. "I was trying to make myself think of something else... Anything else... B-because I thought you were gonna do it... And I knew it was gonna really hurt. I wanted to pass out so I wouldn't be there for it. I was so scared..." He whispered, tears starting to flow down his cheeks.

"I was going to whip you." Ardyn repeated, feeling frustration building inside him. Why was he allowing Prompto the freedom to express this? What the hell difference did it make if the boy's feelings were hurt? If he felt somehow betrayed... Ardyn kidnapped him, hurt him on purpose, murdered a man in front of him when the child acted out. Why did he care what Prompto thought about a threat he hadn't even delivered on?

"Y-you didn't have to make me think that." Prompto whispered. "Th-that was one of the worst moments of my whole life..." He choked. "I was so scared."

Ardyn frowned, continuing an explanation he didn't even owe the boy. "I was going to whip across your back, your backside, your thighs... Even if I weren't trying to terrify you, I'd have done it the same. Your pants needed to be down for me to access enough skin to hit you where it would hurt... To leave a lasting impression - so you'd know not to misbehave again. I did purposefully mislead you, so you'd be more frightened. It was deliberate. Maybe I shouldn't have..."

Prompto shook his head, sniffing softly. "No, you shouldn't have." He agreed.

"You don't have to fear that." Ardyn promised. "If you try to escape again, I will have to hurt you - but not like that. It was a bluff... So you'll be safe with me. As long as you cooperate. I won't even make you pull down your pants again... Even if I do end up having to hurt you - if you try something - I won't include that. I was trying to scare you... I probably shouldn't have done that... I was feeling cruel. It won't happen again. Okay? Come sit." He raised his arm up again, welcoming the boy toward him.

Prompto shook his head. "I don't want to." He whispered, looking down and swallowing.

"Did I ask you what you wanted? You said you were cold." Ardyn stared, starting to feel a little offended that the boy was in a way rejecting him. "It wasn't a question... I'm offering you comfort... Come over here. Now."

"No." Prompto whispered, tears shining in his eyes. He looked horribly nervous. He was even shaking - more than he had been from just being cold. "Please don't make me... I don't want to." He whispered, his voice trembling.

Ardyn felt his mouth drop open slightly. He wondered if he should get angry, grab Prompto, force him to sit with him... He had offered to share his space - his warmth - as a caring gesture. He was trying to be nice, comforting. What gave Prompto the right to refuse it?

"Prompto..." Ardyn glared. "Have you forgotten who calls the shots between us? I make the rules... I'm asking you to do something. I'm telling you. Demanding it. Remember what happens when you disobey me? I'm not asking again. Come here."

The boy let out a small, shaky sob as he raised his hands up toward his lips, seemingly trying to cover his mouth, to stifle his crying. He shrunk down and shook his head. "I'm not that cold... Please..." He whimpered. "I just wanna stay over here... Please... I'm- I'm scared of you..." He choked. "Please don't make me..."

Ardyn exhaled and closed his eyes. It wouldn't do either of them any good if Ardyn forced the boy to huddle under his coat while the child trembled and cried. Prompto was quite clearly frightened of him, scared to sit so close, to let the man put his arm around him and hold him... and at this point Ardyn was starting to feel like a sexual predator even for demanding it. The offer was an attempt to comfort the boy, to make him feel warm and safe... and it was having the exact opposite affect.

"Fine." Ardyn reluctantly agreed, feeling the urge to be destructive toward the boy bubbling back up inside him. "Stay over there then. Be cold." He glared, genuinely considering pouring water over the fire, forcing Prompto to take off everything but his underwear, and making sure the boy really felt the consequences of refusing the warm, caring gesture Ardyn had offered. If he wanted to be cold, Ardyn could fucking make sure he was.

Prompto stared across the fire for a moment, sniffing softly as he blinked away his tears.

"You're a brat. You know that?" Ardyn stared, wondering if he should have ever given the child the breaks he had thus far. Prompto feared him, but not enough to do what he fucking said. That was Ardyn's own fault. Prompto knew Ardyn was growing soft. He was taking advantage of it.

Prompto still stared at the ground. He was shaking slightly - maybe from the cold, maybe out of fear. He didn't have enough fear though. If he truly feared Ardyn, he'd have done what the man said. He'd have feared not huddling under the coat would result in pain - he'd have gladly accepted the offer of warmth knowing refusing would get him hurt... But then he likely feared accepting the offer would get him hurt in another way - a worse way. He still didn't trust that Ardyn wouldn't sexually assault him. He likely assumed that was Ardyn's intent.

"I try to do something nice for you..." Ardyn grumbled, pushing back the urge he still had to walk over, grab the boy by the arm, and drag him back with him, to hug his arm painfully around the boy's shoulders, force him to sit under the coat, even if it was unpleasant for both of them, just to show the little brat that Ardyn could do whatever he wanted.

"S-sorry..." Prompto shrunk down. "I just... Y-you were scaring me..."

Ardyn shook his head. "Then you're a coward."

"Maybe I am..." Prompto whispered.

Ardyn shook his head, staring silently at the boy. Prompto's entire posture was defensive, cowering. He was staring at the ground, trembling, hugging his arms around himself. He didn't look like he felt like he'd just won here, even though Ardyn felt like he had. Ardyn had offered something kind, Prompto had refused, thrown a little tantrum like a child, and Ardyn had given him his way. Even so, Prompto still looked scared, defeated.

"Can I sleep in the back of the car instead?" Prompto frowned, his voice slightly breathless as he looked up toward Ardyn. "Please?" He added in a tiny whisper.

Ardyn frowned too, for some reason feeling a twinge of disappointment, maybe even guilt. For a moment out here under the stars, by the fire, he and the child seemed to be getting along. Prompto was asking questions, Ardyn was answering them. The boy was happily eating noodles and even smiling. They were chatting, like father and son… Even after the boy ran, Ardyn saved him, Prompto had cowered down against him, hiding his face in the man's coat, accepting him as his protector. And now Prompto was quite clearly entirely uncomfortable, scared even. That tiny hint of a bond, of trust… It was fleeting.

Of course, Ardyn hadn't ever expected the boy to grow to trust him. Why would he? It was something he hadn't aimed for, and he wasn't even sure why he was disappointed by it. Ardyn hadn't had a real bond with someone in so long. Nothing more than him using someone else, someone else trying to use him… He had kidnapped this boy. Prompto wasn't here willingly. He wasn't happily chatting with Ardyn because he wanted to, because he liked being here, because he felt safe… He was doing whatever he could to survive, trying to enjoy himself during forced moments of social interaction with his kidnapper, while trapped, terrified.

Ardyn glared, remembering now that this wasn't some father-son road trip. He wasn't Prompto's source of protection and comfort. Prompto didn't expect or want him to be. Ardyn wasn't here to keep the boy warm and safe. He was taking Prompto toward something horrible, toward Verstael… Just like he'd planned. The little brat certainly wasn't going to be offered fireside cuddles there.

Shaking his head, Ardyn started to stand, ignoring the fact that Prompto flinched slightly when Ardyn moved. "I suppose we could simply keep driving." He offered. "You can sleep back there if you want. We'll be there just after sunrise though, most likely. Verstael might not be awake yet."

"That's his name? My dad?" Prompto asked, his eyes brightening at any additional piece of information about the man he had no idea was a monster.

Ardyn scoffed. "Get in the back, you brat. We'll just get there quick and be done with this. I'm getting sick of you."

Prompto frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm sick of you too." He pouted.

Ardyn shook his head and rolled his eyes, wondering how on earth this boy had gotten the impression that he was allowed to be so bold.

Maybe he didn't need to feel bad handing the boy over to Verstael after all. Ardyn didn't need to feel bad for any of this. In fact, he should have beaten the hell out of Prompto earlier tonight with the belt. He should have just done it. He should have forced him to undress again, beat the shit out of him, tied up his limbs, and tossed him in the trunk after the incident they'd just had. He should have fucking done that right from the start - drugged the boy, undressed him, kept in in the trunk - out of Ardyn's damn way, drugged him more every couple hours… Then he could have handed him straight to Verstael, ready to go. No drama. No screaming, running, crying… Just Verstael getting his little science project back.

Letting the boy ride up front and talk to him, listening to and discussing music, buying him food, bandaging his injuries, getting somehow emotionally invested in the fact that Prompto had scars from being beaten, was frightened of alcohol and sexual abuse… Ardyn should have never allowed it. He shouldn't have ever let himself forge what was almost a bond with this little brat. Why had he?

He was never meant to give a damn about this child. He didn't give a damn. The boy was a piece of property, belonging to Ardyn's old friend. That was it. He was delivering his friend's stolen property. The boy was only a specimen to Verstael - nothing more.

It was Ardyn's own fault Prompto go so far out of line. He should have stuck to his threats. He should have beaten Prompto - regardless of old scars. When Prompto lied about firewood, he should have grabbed up some of the smoldering firewood they already had and burned the child with it. Ardyn had been too soft, and Prompto's behavior reflected that.

Prompto needed to be straightened out… But Verstael would be great for that. Prompto needed a good reminder of where he stood in this world. If anyone could put him back in his place, it was his creator.

xxxxxx


	10. Chapter 10

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Chapter 10

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"There's a science lab under here?" Prompto frowned as Ardyn led the way into what looked like an old barn. An old barn with various boards missing from its structure… Light streamed in through long, rectangular gaps in the walls and parts of its roof were entirely gone. It didn't look stable.

"It's a hidden lab." Ardyn reminded him. "Underground. It's meant to be inconspicuous."

"You sure you're not luring me in here to murder me?" Prompto pouted, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering. It was just only getting light out and was still pretty cold from the previous night.

"I could have murdered you anywhere, anytime, my dear boy. No luring required. This way." Ardyn reached toward the handle of a door in the middle of the ground. It was barely even noticeable. If Prompto hadn't seen Ardyn open it, he might have never noticed it was there even if he spent all day in this barn.

They'd driven through the night and on for a bit after sunrise, had headed off the main road and down a dirt path, and now they were here... in the middle of nowhere. No other people were nearby. They hadn't passed a single car after taking the side road. If something bad happened and Prompto felt compelled to scream or run looking for help, it wasn't going to work out for him. Not that it had worked out when he asked for help when there was a person around to hear him.

Swallowing nervously as he followed Ardyn, Prompto felt his breaths growing a little quicker. He was starting to get really nervous. Ardyn's vague descriptions of the man they were going to meet hadn't exactly been reassuring. Prompto of course also still didn't fully trust Ardyn. For all he knew, Ardyn had never met any of Prompto's relatives and was going to lock him down here or feed him to some horrible monster or something. He didn't know…

Prompto followed Ardyn down a ladder, which led to a hallway with dim lights lining it near the ceiling. At the end of the hall there was a keypad, which Ardyn seemed to know the code to. He input six digits - quickly, so Prompto didn't catch what they were… a two and a four, something in the middle, and something something eight or nine? He knew he unfortunately wouldn't be able to replicate the code if he needed to.

"Anyone home?" Ardyn called out as he led the way into the next room.

Prompto frowned as he followed the man inside, feeling a strong urge to turn around and run right back out before the door closed behind them. The lab was so pristine considering it was under a dirty, dusty old barn. He wondered what kind of science things his father did… if this guy even was his father. Ardyn hadn't been clear on that.

"I've brought you someone!" Ardyn called out. "Someone you've been missing..."

"You're quite early…" A low voice grumbled.

Prompto found himself inching behind Ardyn as he heard footsteps approaching. Something about this felt extremely wrong. In fact, everything about it did. Prompto still knew absolutely nothing about this man... And the oddly clean lab under the ground was weird. Why did it have to be hidden? If there wasn't something bad happening in here, why hide it? And why was Verstael here and not like at a house or something. Why meet in a secret lab?

"Don't be rude, Prompto… Say hello to Daddy." Ardyn laughed, turning toward Prompto and grabbing his upper arms, pushing him in front of himself as an older man came into view. The guy almost seemed too old to possibly be Prompto's dad, but he did feel familiar, almost like they had to be related somehow… Just maybe not father and son.

"My goodness…" The stranger gasped, walking forward, holding his hands out and reaching toward Prompto's face. "You've grown… and you look… almost exactly as I'd expect. Yes… Almost exactly."

Prompto swallowed, glancing toward Ardyn. He didn't know for sure what to say. These people seemed to somehow know him, while he knew nothing about them in return.

"The boy's named Prompto." Ardyn informed his friend. "I know… not what you'd have chosen, I'm sure."

"I wouldn't have chosen anything." The man laughed.

Ardyn laughed as well. "I know. Prompto, this is Verstael. Your father… in a way…"

Prompto shook his head, frowning. He was about tired of the vague, confusing description of how this man was supposedly related to him. "What does that mean?" He glared."Is he my father or not? He either is or he isn't… Wh-why isn't there a clear yes or no answer?"

Ardyn let out a slight laugh. "Getting a little impatient, are we, dear boy?"

"Yes. I am." Prompto stared, crossing his arms over his chest and stepping slightly to the side to distance himself from both men. "You've dragged me here, against my will... Hardly told me anything about what's going on... Is this man my father or not? And if he's not, then who is he?"

"I am." Verstael nodded with a smirk. "For all intents and purposes I'm your father."

Prompto exhaled and closed his eyes, shaking his head. He wondered if he really was related to this guy at all. Both Ardyn and Verstael were weird, creepy, sinister. But if Prompto wasn't related to this man, why had Ardyn chosen to take him all the way here? It was a long trip just to take some random kid to this guy for some unclear reason…

"Leave us, Ardyn. I'll take him from here." Verstael smiled, reaching a hand out toward Prompto's shoulder.

Prompto let out a small breath, glancing toward Ardyn with a frown. He didn't exactly trust Ardyn. It wasn't like he wanted to stay with him… But he sure as hell didn't trust this guy either. At least Ardyn had a track record of not trying to kill him for the two days they'd spent together… Not significantly hurting him in that time, only threatening to rape him and not actually doing it… Thus far, the man hadn't significantly hurt him - only threatened to. He knew what to expect from Ardyn - kind of… He didn't know this man at all.

"I'd like to start with a few medical tests, to see how you've been doing out on your own…" Verstael started, pulling Prompto backward.

"What?" Prompto breathed, looking toward the man, then back toward Ardyn again. "No… Ardyn, don't leave…" He whimpered, pulling his arm out of Verstael's grip and rushing toward Ardyn.

"You two have bonded, hm?" Verstael laughed, grabbing Prompto again and pulling him back. "Please cooperate, son. So I don't have to take drastic measures." He warned.

Prompto shook his head. "No… I don't wanna be here…" He whispered. "Thanks for meeting with me, but-" He was cut off when he felt Verstael's hand clamp down over his mouth, pulling him back against his chest. Prompto whimpered a muffled plea, drawing his hands up toward the man's arm, trying to pry the hand off of his face. He didn't want this. Why the hell would his father - or whatever this guy was to him - need to do medical tests?

"Hand me that syringe, Ardyn." Verstael ordered. "Before you go, please."

Prompto tried to squirm under Verstael's grip, shaking his head as Ardyn walked over and picked up an un-labeled syringe, handing it over toward his friend.

"No…" Prompto breathed, shaking his head and trying to jerk his arm back as Verstael stabbed the needle into his shoulder. "Don't! What's in that?" He gasped.

"Shhh… You've got to calm down, Prompto. We've been over this." Ardyn frowned, putting his hand on Prompto's chest and rubbing gently as Prompto felt himself quickly growing tired. "Cooperate, Baby. You don't want to get hurt… Verstael has far less patience than I."

Prompto could feel himself growing limp. His breaths were growing slower. He felt like he was passing out as Ardyn helped the other man lift him onto a table. Prompto could barely move at this point, but Verstael strapped his wrists down to the table anyway.

"Please let me go…" Prompto whimpered. "Ardyn… Don't let him hurt me…" Prompto choked, looking toward the other man. "Don't leave me here. Please don't leave me with him. Please!"

"You understood this was the destination. I told you... You knew this was where we were going, and you chose to rush here rather than taking your time with me... You had your chance at my protection and you didn't want it." Ardyn stared. "Interesting that you want to cling to me now..." He narrowed his eyes.

Prompto felt his mouth fall open sightly as his brows furrowed. Was Ardyn mad at him for not accepting his offer to share his coat last night? Was this punishment for that? Feeling his lower lip tremble as tears welled up in his eyes, Prompto shook his head. "Please don't leave me here..." He whispered. "Take me back with you. I don't wanna stay here..." Ardyn was scary, but nowhere near as scary as this new guy. Ardyn never suggested doing medical tests... What did that even mean? "Please, Ardyn..." Prompto whispered.

"You'll be alright. You wanted your answers. This is where they are. Be good. Don't be a nuisance like you were with me. I'll… come check in later." Ardyn frowned, looking almost uncomfortable as he rubbed Prompto's shoulder.

Prompto shook his head slightly, feeling like he could barely do even that. He was so tired. His body felt so heavy… Yet he was still mostly awake. Was that what the drug did? Made him unable to move, but didn't give him the luxury of passing out too?

"It's medical tests, my dear. He's not going to beat you or anything. You mean a lot to him, so I'm sure no serious injury will befall you." Ardyn promised. "Just lie back and close your eyes. You'll be fine. I'll check in. Within a day or so. Alright?"

"No..." Prompto whimpered. "Please don't leave..."

"I promised you to Verstael. He's got more rights to you than I have. The journey was always to lead us here." Ardyn explained. "I know you're scared..."

Prompto sniffed back tears. He was scared. Very scared. "Please take me home..." He whispered.

"I can't." Ardyn frowned.

Verstael exhaled tiredly. "You don't owe him an explanation, Ardyn. We'll be fine. My gods... Have the two of you known each other longer than a mere few days? You certainly act like it. The boy is determined to cling to you like a child to his mother."

Ardyn frowned back at his friend, then looked toward Prompto, shaking his head as though disappointed in the situation he himself created. "Prompto, don't panic... You'll be alright... I'll check back in tomorrow. Is that okay?" Ardyn looked up toward Verstael.

"Sure." Verstael shrugged, rolling his eyes. "We'll stay occupied until then." He added, smirking back down at Prompto.

With that, Ardyn turned and walked out of the room, leaving Prompto lying on his back, strapped down with this terrifying stranger looming over him.

"You won't be needing this…" Verstael noted as he took scissors off a nearby table and began cutting up the length of one of Prompto's shirt sleeves.

Prompto choked out a shaking sob, shaking his head as best as his exhausted body allowed. "Please..." he whimpered.

"Is this a school uniform? You go to school in Insomnia?" Verstael asked, ignoring Prompto's begging.

Prompto's lip trembled. "Yes…" He answered, looking toward the doorway Ardyn had exited from. He couldn't believe this. Ardyn brought him this far, made sure he survived a daemon attack, bought him food and water... just to leave him here? A part of Prompto felt like he'd almost bonded with Ardyn. Not that he felt safe with the man, but he was almost like an uncle or father-figure for those two days. An extremely abusive one, but still a protector. Sure, Ardyn was the one who put him in danger in the first place, but he'd kept Prompto safe at the same time.

"I wouldn't have ever dreamed… I never considered you could grow to have your own life… An entire existence away from me…" Verstael mused, cutting up the side of the next sleeve, then cutting off each of the buttons up the front, pulling the shirt off of Prompto completely.

Letting out a shaky whimper, Prompto squeezed his eyes shut and shrunk down. "Please..." His voice shook as he blinked his eyes back open. "Don't hurt me. Please let me go..." He begged

"Ouch…" Verstael made an exaggerated face, ignoring Prompto's protests as he looked at Prompto's recently exposed skin. "You've certainly had a rough go of it, haven't you?" He pulled the gauze pad up away from the scratch marks across Prompto's upper chest. "Ardyn did a fair job cleaning it at least. Was it a coeurl?"

Prompto shook his head, shivering as his shirt and the wound's dressing were taken away. The air in the lab was so cold. Even colder maybe than outside. "Why are you doing this?" He whispered.

"You're mine. You belong to me." Verstael answered, loosening Prompto's tie next, sliding it off of his neck and throwing it down onto the floor where the scraps of his shirt had fallen. "I was tracking your health so thoroughly for the first months of your life… and then you were stolen from me. I'm making up for lost time… Deciding what you may be worth. We've got a lot to make up for… You may have to serve a different purpose than I originally intended."

"What are you talking about?" Prompto whispered, noticing his voice was heavier too. It was becoming harder to talk. "What… What'd y-you drug me with?" He stumbled over the words, closing his eyes tiredly as Verstael placed an IV in his hand and started hooking up various IV drips. "Please…" He whimpered. "What is all of this?"

Verstael laughed softly. "You're not hurt. Stop panicking. I'm taking blood samples, keeping you sedated, monitoring heart rate, oxygen… all of your vitals. That's all."

Prompto stuck his lip out in a pout, staring up at Verstael who ran his fingertips carefully over the boy's ribs.

"Ardyn really was rough with you, hm?" Verstael frowned, tracing various discolored bruises on Prompto's ribs and arms. "Did he hit you?" The man forced an insincere pout as he ran his fingers over the bruise on Prompto's ribs.

"Yeah... I made him mad..." Prompto whispered.

"Oh, you did?" Verstael raised his eyebrows. "How did you manage that? He's ordinarily so patient." He laughed. "How'd you make him upset with you?"

Prompto frowned and looked down. "It wasn't hard. I tried to run away after he killed someone, and I screamed and kicked out when he caught me."

Verstael let out a laugh, shaking his head. "You poor little thing."

Prompto stuck his lip out in a pout and closed his eyes. Obviously he hadn't expected any sympathy or anything... Just maybe not laughter either. It wasn't funny that Ardyn hit him so hard it felt like his ribs might be cracked. They still hurt. It wasn't funny. He blinked his eyes back open, staring up at his captor with a frown.

"He held you down here." The man noted next, lightly gripping around Prompto's wrists, then sliding his hands up the boy's arms, letting one rest on Prompto's neck. "He grabbed you here too." He noted.

Prompto tried to focus on remembering to breathe as he stared up with huge eyes. He was so frightened. Verstael was a stranger to him. He'd just met the man all of ten minutes ago. He had no idea what horrible things the guy might do to him.

"You're shaking, you poor little child." Verstael forced another mocking pout. "Oh, you're so scared, aren't you?"

Shrinking down and turning his head to the side, Prompto inhaled a small breath. He didn't want to verbally respond to the man's comments. Verstael seemed too amused by the fact that Prompto was terrified, trembling. He couldn't give the man the satisfaction of admitting it.

"Ardyn hurt you a lot." Verstael noted, running his fingertips lightly over Prompto's throat. "He squeezed your little neck, didn't he? Cut off your air... That really made you panic, didn't it?" He narrowed his eyes, starting to very slowly tighten his grip.

Prompto choked out a tiny, shaking breath. "Please let go." He whispered.

"Is that how you spoke to Ardyn? When he was choking you? Did you beg him? Did you cry?" Verstael smirked.

Prompto shook his head, not really knowing what else to say.

"Did he do anything else to you?" Verstael grinned. "You two had a long time alone together..." He noted.

Closing his eyes and whimpering softly, Prompto shook his head. "I just wanna go home... Please..."

"Did you and he do anything under your clothes? Under his? Does he have a little school boy kink I didn't know about? Is that why your clothes were so wrinkled and your tie was tied wrong?" Verstael guessed. "Surely Ardyn knows how to tie a tie... Did he let you do it yourself? Because he likes how you do it wrong? He thinks it's endearing, doesn't he? You being a little mess of a person?"

"No..." Prompto whimpered. "I've been wearing the same shirt since friday... I slept in it... Twice... a-and I don't know how to do the tie right." He admitted.

"Oh, you don't?" Verstael's eyebrows rose again.

Prompto shook his head. "Ardyn didn't do anything like that... He just hit me and choked me when I tried to run away."

"Somehow I can't see that being all he did, child. He had a lot of opportunities to do whatever he wanted. Surely he wanted to do something... I can't tell if he'd be the type to bend you over and penetrate you from behind or have you pleasure him with your mouth..." Verstael mused. "Do you know how to do that? Did you show Ardyn the time of his long, laborious life?"

Prompto shook his head again, feeling his breaths growing quicker as panic seized at his heart.

"Ardyn had all the chances in the world... Did you cry when he did it? Did you behave for him? I bet you didn't. That's why there are bruises up and down your arms, over your throat. You're a fighter. He had to hold you down. He had to choke you while he fucked you, to keep you still." Verstael guessed, running his hand back over Prompto's neck. "Choking someone while penetrating them is kind of a rush, you know. For both parties."

"No." Prompto whispered, shaking his head. "Please don't hurt me..." He whimpered, staring up through tears as the man leering down at him, recognizing if he hadn't already huge red flags, warning signs that the man was preoccupied with the very thing Prompto feared most. He wouldn't be talking about this if he weren't considering doing it.

"Maybe you'd do better using your hand?" Verstael noted, stepping so that his crotch was right next to Prompto's fingers.

Trying to pull his hand away, even with it tied down and his arm weighed down by the sedative, Prompto whimpered. "Don't..." He choked, loosely curling his hand into a trembling fist.

"Did you and Ardyn get into that then, or not?" Verstael asked.

"No." Prompto whispered. "He didn't."

"Seriously?" Verstael laughed. "How could he have possibly resisted? You and he, all alone in that car, camping together... You're so young and soft and delicate... So beautiful, tempting... He never touched you? Never pinned you down to the ground, wrestled down your little school trousers?"

Prompto squeezed his eyes closed again, shaking his head as tears slowly spilled down his cheeks. Ardyn hadn't ever hurt him sexually. He threatened to. He made Prompto pull his pants down and Prompto seriously thought he was going to, but he hadn't. It was all some twisted game to him. "He didn't do it." Prompto breathed, his voice tiny.

"He didn't so much as touch you? Make you touch him?" Verstael frowned.

Prompto quickly shook his head no. Of course, Ardyn had done part of that... The previous night, before the man had changed his mind about punishing Prompto for perceived misdeeds... Ardyn had touched him where he wasn't invited. For a painfully long minute or two Prompto had been forced to stand there and endure it, for fear that stepping away or fighting back would end in him being hurt much worse. Ardyn had forced Prompto to pull down his pants, to remain still while the man put his hand on him... Sure, he had only been trying to scare his captive - he hadn't intended on doing as much as he implied he would, but it was still inappropriate. Still scary and embarrassing.

Verstael nodded. "I hope you're truthful here, my boy. I really do."

Prompto tried to focus on breathing, but kept his eyes closed. It was very troubling that Verstael was so interested in whether or not Ardyn had sexually assaulted him. Why did he care? Why did he need so badly to know? Was he going to do it? Did he want to know he was the first and only one to have abused Prompto like that? He didn't want Ardyn to have gotten to him first?

"I'm not old enough..." Prompto blurted. "I'm only fifteen..." His voice shook. His breaths were so shallow, so frightened. "I'm- I'm still a child..." He whispered.

Verstael smiled silently, petting his hand carefully down from Prompto's neck, over his chest.

"Please..." Prompto whimpered, his voice shaking with tears that were so close to falling. "Please don't hurt me. I'm only fifteen." He repeated, shaking his head and inhaling trembling breaths as his tears started to fall. He wanted so badly to be home, to be with Noctis, to grab the prince up in a hug, to hold on tight and beg Noctis to hug him back and never let go.

"No need to panic." Verstael laughed, petting his hand lightly over Prompto's chest. "Shhh... Don't cry. Don't get upset, child. I'm well aware of just how young you are. I wouldn't ever dream of hurting you. You're my own kin, my perfect, precious child. I want you to be safe, protected. I cherish you, my boy. You can be sure of that."

Prompto hesitated sniffed back his remaining tears, feeling uncertain now. Had he somehow gotten the wrong idea? Was it like when Ardyn threatened him? Was Verstael just being deliberately creepy to keep Prompto in check? Just making sure Prompto knew to take him seriously? It wasn't like Prompto could even do anything to disobey the man. He was so heavily drugged that he couldn't even move. He couldn't scream for help - well, he could, but it would be pointless...

"I merely wanted to know what all Ardyn had forced on you so I could make sure you're not physically injured. He's a very depraved man." Verstael frowned. "I'm legitimately surprised you'd manage to escape his hands untouched. Are you sure he didn't? Perhaps while you were incapacitated? I assume he drugged you. That was his plan to smuggle you out of the city..."

Prompto felt his breath hitch in his throat as his eyes widened. Surely Ardyn didn't do anything to him while he was passed out... He really wouldn't have had to. Prompto wasn't strong enough to fight him off. If Ardyn wanted to do something like that, he could have any time. He wouldn't have needed for Prompto to be unconscious.

Prompto frowned as he tried to think back to the moment he first woke up in the back of Ardyn's car. His clothing was just as he'd left it. His pants and everything were how they should have been. He hadn't felt like anything bad had happened to him. He wasn't in any pain down there, didn't feel anything abnormal. Surely Ardyn wouldn't have done that... After all, like Verstael said, the man had plenty of opportunities to do whatever horrible things he wanted. Most of the threats were hollow - he hadn't ended up doing it. It seemed everything Ardyn did was to get some kind of reaction. If he was going to do something, it would have been when Prompto was awake to suffer through it...

"Anyway, we should get on with the examination. I've got a lot of data to collect on you." Verstael changed the subject. "So many years lost... We'll get it done though. I've got to make sure you're in good shape, my son. You look to be, besides the bruises and injuries, but that's Ardyn's fault - not yours."

Prompto gasped and shook his head when he felt the man's hands at his waist, unbuttoning his pants and starting to slide them down his thighs. "No! Please don't! Please! Please!" Prompto immediately started sobbing, pulling his hands into loose fists and trying to tug them out of the restraints. He was so exhausted he could barely even manage the fists though, much less freeing himself.

"My, my… You've become so sensitive, my son… It's a human body. We all have one. Nothing at all to be ashamed of..." Verstael laughed, tugging Prompto's pants all the way down, pulling them off completely. "We're family. This shouldn't be that big of a deal to you, my child. I knew you the day you took your first breath. You certainly weren't wearing pants then."

Prompto shook his head and cried out a frightened whimper. "Please don't…" He choked. "I w-was a baby then... I don't know you. You know me, but I don't know you..." He choked.

Verstael laughed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes as though Prompto was being ridiculous. "You look stunning, my dear, so don't feel embarrassed. I've seen it all before - more than you could possibly know… But you can keep your underwear for now. Okay? Will that shut you up?"

Prompto's lip trembled as he blinked back tears and sniffed. He was so cold, so scared. This man had no boundaries and didn't respect Prompto's. The situation was entirely terrifying, inappropriate, humiliating. He was almost completely undressed. He was drugged, strapped down... He couldn't move. He didn't even know where he was. If he escaped by some miracle, he'd still be lost. He'd never felt this overwhelmed and trapped in his whole life.

Closing his eyes and choking out a shaky sob, Prompto shrunk down. "I wanna go home…" He cried softly. "Please… I wa-wanna g-go home…"

"You are home. This is home now… I'm your home. Wherever I am, you'll come with me. We're family after all." Verstael put his hand on Prompto's chest, rubbing his thumb lightly over the boy's collar bone. "You're quite physically fit. You exercise, I presume?"

Prompto couldn't bring himself to answer. His body was so exhausted, including his voice. He also didn't want to play along with this. He didn't want to act like this was a routine doctor visit and answer the questions like it was normal. He just wanted to disappear, to not do this, to skip to the end of whatever this nightmare was. He hoped there was an end, that Verstael didn't intend on keeping him forever... that he'd let him go whenever he was done with this weird exam, or that he'd at least not leave him tied down and drugged, so Prompto could escape on his own.

Right now he was entirely powerless though, and that lack of control was the worst feeling imaginable. There was nothing at all he could do here. Just beg... and that wasn't working.

"It's been so long… You've taken good care of yourself. You're fit, but not too muscular. Still lean… Attractive… but maybe that's just me being a narcissist. I was quite the looker back in the day too." Verstael smirked.

Letting out a tired, shaky breath, Prompto pulled very weakly at one of his arms, making not even a little progress in freeing himself. He was all but completely immobilized at this point.

Prompto exhaled a small, shaky breath as he watched Verstael walk away toward a series of drawers and cabinets, going through them, taking out various supplies. He didn't understand why this was happening. Why did this man want to know these things about him? His blood, his heart rate, his vitals? Why did he care? What was he going to do with the information?

Inhaling a sharp breath and tensing as Verstael stuck some sort of heart or breathing monitors to his chest, some over his ribs, Prompto looked to the side toward a small screen that started to beep, indicating his heart rate, maybe his breaths too… He wasn't sure.

"You're doing beautifully, my boy." Verstael cooed, running his hand over the side of Prompto's face, down over his neck. "Slowed heart rate, but that's to be expected with the sedative. There are other potential side effects, but nothing lethal. You'll likely feel minor aches and pains as it wears off perhaps some nausea, a fever... but that won't be for a while yet. It'll be similar to the flu, but varies from person to person. Some people have no side effects at all."

Prompto squeezed his eyes back shut, focusing on his own slow, shallow breaths, trying to get himself to breathe in deeper. He felt like he was going to faint, and he wasn't sure if it was from the sedative or from his own pure fear.

He listened as Verstael moved around the lab. Prompto really didn't want to watch what he was doing. He didn't want to know. He just wanted to pass out, to not have to suffer anymore. What if this man did more than just routine procedures? What if he experimented on Prompto? Did surgeries? Removed organs? Tested weird, dangerous drugs on him? What if whatever he did left Prompto forever damaged? Blind, deaf, unable to walk or talk... What if it killed him?

Prompto felt his lip trembling as tears filled his eyes. He just wanted to go home. His life wasn't perfect in Insomnia, but he'd gladly take it over staying here. He just wanted to be home, to have Noctis and his camera… To walk around the city carelessly, to waste hours in the arcade, to go to school. He never felt all that important, all that loved or wanted... but he'd rather be ignored and unnoticed than be here.

"Thirteen years you've been gone." Verstael noted again. "It seems like just yesterday… Son, I was so angry when you were stolen from me. So, very angry… But I've got you back now. You're mine again. And I think perhaps you may have been worth the wait."

Opening his eyes and sticking his lip out in a pout, Prompto looked up at the man. Verstael was staring back at him like Prompto was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen, like for some reason having him back was like winning the lottery.

A sick feeling rose in Prompto's chest as he took note of the twisted, excited look in his captor's eyes. Verstael had been waiting for thirteen years to reclaim Prompto. This was something the man had thought about for a very, very long time. To Prompto is was new, confusing, scary... To Verstael it was a long time coming, much anticipated... The man got what he wanted after over a decade of waiting. Was he ever going to let Prompto go? Was this how the rest of Prompto's life was going to play out? Was he going to be forced to stay here forever?

xxxxxx


	11. Chapter 11

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Chapter 11

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"You claim not to have been engaged in sexual acts with Ardyn." Verstael noted as he walked across the room, pulling out a drawer and collecting something out of it before closing it and heading back toward Prompto. "I'm still not convinced... Are you sexually active elsewhere? Back in Insomnia?"

Prompto stuck his lower lip out in a pout as he stared up at the man. He was way too preoccupied with this subject and Prompto was getting literally sick of being asked about it. Each time Verstael brought it up, Prompto felt more and more like he might legitimately vomit.

"Are you? Perhaps with your little school friends?" Verstael wondered. "You know what I'm asking, right? Are you too young and naive to understand? Is that why you think Ardyn hasn't done anything like that to you? You don't understand?"

Swallowing, Prompto closed his heavy eyelids and exhaled a tired breath. He pulled uselessly at his hands, trying to form them into fists, but even just that was exhausting. He wished he weren't so incapacitated. What he really wanted to do was punch this guy in the fucking jaw.

"You have nothing to say now?" Verstael frowned as he loomed over his captive. His hand rested on Prompto's shoulder, gently rubbing back and forth.

Prompto forced his eyes open. "What do you want?" He whispered, feeling anger bubbling up within his fear. "I don't know why you're doing this... I don't know what you want from me. You keep asking the same thing and won't listen to my answer. I answered this fucking question already." He growled. "It's none of your business, and I already answered you." He hissed.

Verstael surprisingly let out a laugh. "Oooh... So angry... All I want is answers, and you haven't given me one on this question. You claim Ardyn didn't do anything to you. Now tell me what you get up to at home. Do you do naughty things with your little prince?"

Prompto felt tears stinging his eyes. Could there possibly be a medical reason the man would want to know this? Why did he care? What was this leading toward?

"I only want honestly..." Verstael frowned, cocking his head to the side and narrowing his eyes.

Prompto shook his head, unable for the moment to bring himself to speak. He didn't know what to say. It seemed this man wasn't going to believe the truth anyway... and it terrified him that Verstael was so preoccupied with this topic.

Something horrible was coming... That much was clear. No one had ever asked Prompto these kinds of questions with such sick fascination... In fact, no one really asked these questions at all. No one else on the planet felt they were entitled to answers on this... Verstael was going to do something awful to him. Prompto just knew it. Things were going to get much worse from here. Prompto was drugged, tied down, practically naked, completely defenseless, and all this strange man seemed to have on his mind was sex.

Verstael exhaled, shaking his head and closing his eyes. "Ardyn did do it, didn't he? That's why you're so quiet, so upset... The bruises on your little body certainly add up to it. And he had so long to do it... Weren't you with him two nights? A full day between and part of the morning? You're so bruised... You fought so hard to keep him from doing it, but he was just too strong, wasn't he? Did he do it often? You poor little thing. Must have hurt..."

"He didn't." Prompto whispered, shaking his head, trying to be patient so he didn't piss this guy off. "I haven't done any of that... Y-you're just scaring me. Th-that's why I'm quiet... B-because you're making me nervous talking about it. I don't do sex stuff... I d- I don't want to talk about doing it."

Verstael laughed softly. "I hope you're telling me the truth." He cocked his head to the side again, narrowing his eyes once more as he looked Prompto up and down. "Those bruises on your thighs certainly look like an injury that someone would get while having their legs forced open, pinned down while a larger person violates them..."

Inhaling a small breath, Prompto shrunk back. Even just the vague description was making him want to throw up. Prompto hadn't ever done anything like that. Ardyn didn't do it. He didn't do it with anyone back home. He was only fifteen. The most he'd done - or rather had done to him - was when his dad's brother visited and got really drunk one night. He had put his hand between Prompto's legs, over his clothing, and just kind of rubbed him. It wasn't invasive. It wasn't painful... Just really scary... That and what Ardyn had done last night were the most sexual things he'd done where anyone other than himself was there.

"I don't wanna be here..." Prompto whimpered. "I just want to go back home."

Verstael shook his head. "That so rude, my dear little son. Do you realize how much I've missed you? And for you to be so dismissive and ungrateful when we finally come back together... You're fifteen now... what has it been? Twelve, thirteen years of me missing you...? I've been waiting for our reunion for so long..."

Prompto shook his head. "I w-wanted to meet you too, but you're being..." Prompto hesitated. The man was being fucking awful, but saying so wasn't going to do him any good. So he decided for more gentle words. "You're scaring me... I always wanted to know where I came from... but this-" He cut himself off with a shaky breath. "W-why can't we just like... sit down and have tea? And talk..." He suggested.

Verstael laughed. "That's not what I waited thirteen years for, my dear."

Prompto felt his lip trembling as he blinked back his tears. He knew just based on Ardyn telling him in advance that Verstael wasn't the fatherly type that their reunion wasn't going to be perfect, that he wasn't going to be the dad Prompto always wanted... But he didn't expect the man to be this awful.

"Aww... I didn't mean to hurt your little feelings… I'm not used to my children having emotions." The older man laughed. "Let's take a look at the rest of you then…"

Prompto whimpered and felt tears streaming down his cheeks as Verstael gripped his both sides of his underwear and slowly pulled them down over his thighs.

"Stop-" He winced, barely able to manage to get the word out. His entire being was so exhausted. He was so scared, so defeated, powerless.

"You look stunning, my dear… Oh… To be fifteen again. I remember when I looked almost exactly like you… Not quite, of course. There are small differences. You're leaner… Your little face is more round, I'd say. Like a cute little boy…" He tapped his finger on Prompto's nose. "Positively adorable."

Shaking his head very slightly, Prompto exhaled a weak breath. "Please…" He whispered, trying to pull his legs up, wanting desperately to cover himself. Verstael had left his underwear halfway down his thighs. He wore only that and socks… That was it… And it was cold in here.

"And you've got freckles in places I don't…" Verstael noted, tracing a few of them peppering Prompto's pelvis, much too close to intimate areas than Prompto preferred.

Prompto squeezed his eyes shut and let out a tiny whimper. He felt tears streaming down from his eyes. He was so exhausted by this point, physically and emotionally. He almost wished Verstael would drug him with something else, something stronger. Something that would make him pass out completely, so he at least wouldn't have to know what was happening. He couldn't do anything to put a stop to it, so being aware of it was nothing short of cruel.

"Don't be scared." Verstael cooed, placing a hand over Prompto's ribs and petting him lightly. "Shhh… Don't cry. You'll be safe here with me. I care so deeply about each of you. You haven't turned out how I planned, but I still want you."

"No…" Prompto whimpered, trying to turn his head to the side. He could barely move at all. "D-don't- to-touch me…" He choked.

"I'm just going to have a look at you, my lovely boy. Try to determine if what you say is true. I might not be able to tell if you were up to naughty things back home, but I should see evidence if Ardyn did it, as you've been with him quite recently and I assume you've not bathed... and especially considering the size difference between the two of you - there would be trauma. Unless he only used a finger, you'd have had to have been injured." Verstael noted, grabbing both of Prompto's legs near his knees and bending them, pushing his thighs up toward his chest.

"No!" Prompto sobbed, trying to pull his legs free. He could still barely budge on his own.

"Don't panic. I'm only looking." Verstael laughed, running a hand down Prompto's thigh, over his butt cheek, and squeezing, spreading, looking way too closely at an area Prompto absolutely did not want him seeing. "No obvious injuries externally... No redness. No irritation." He noted. "That's a good sign. I'd expect to see something if Ardyn penetrated you. Again, unless it was digitally - but I imagine if he were going to do it, he'd go all the way."

"Please stop..." Prompto choked, squeezing his eyes shut as tears rolled down his cheeks. "He didn't do it. Please!"

"Shhh... I'll be the judge of that." Verstael refused to back off, reaching into his lab coat and grabbing a glove, sliding it over one hand, then grabbing toward some kind of swab wrapped in paper. He tore the paper, holding the swab up so Prompto could see it. "I'll just collect a sample. This is a minimally invasive procedure. No risks really. Quick and simple. If any DNA other than your own is inside you..." He trailed off.

"There's not!" Prompto gasped, realizing what exactly Verstael was planning on doing with the swab - the only possible thing he could do to achieve the sample he spoke of. "Please! I promise! Please don't do it. Please!" Prompto begged, trying to shrink away.

"Shhh..." Verstael smirked. "This is nothing. Don't make it into a whole ordeal."

Prompto shook his head. Tears were running freely down his cheeks. "W-why are you doing this?" His voice trembled.

"Stop getting upset." Verstael stared, pushing Prompto's legs back up, pressing against the back of his thighs so he could see better. He held both of Prompto's legs up against the boy's chest with one arm pressed down across them, then reached down with the swab. Prompto could feel it resting against his anus, threatening to push in.

"Please..." Prompto squeezed his eyes shut, tensing his body what little he could as he felt himself physically shaking. "I didn't do anything... Y-you don't have to do this. There's no DNA but mine. I promise. Please!"

"Take a breath. Relax. It won't be painful. In fact you'll barely feel it at all. Relax." Verstael laughed, moving the swab in tiny circles, perhaps trying to find the best angle to get it to go in easily. "Is this how you act when you go to the doctor? My goodness, child... Calm down."

Prompto whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt the man pressing the swab against his anus, pushing it very minimally inside him. "Stop!" Prompto hissed, tensing as he felt the foreign object forcing its way inside him, pushing awkwardly where it absolutely wasn't invited. He groaned, gritting his teeth together and pulling his hands into fists as best as he could. The procedure felt more awkward than painful, but it did hurt. It almost felt like a stinging sensation. More than painful though, it was scary. What if Verstael injured him? What if he moved it wrong and it broke off inside him? This wasn't a normal thing to do... It didn't belong down there.

"Please stop!" Prompto sobbed. "You're hurting me!"

"You need to re-evaluate your definition of pain, you little drama queen." Verstael laughed. "It's a cotton swab. The entire thing is all of five inches long and I'm only sliding it in half-way at the most. Please take a damn breath and calm down. This is a medical procedure. Relax."

"No..." Prompto shook his head as tears spilled down his cheeks. He inhaled a sharp breath when he felt the swab push farther into him, letting out a tiny moan as he tried to flinch away. "Please..." He gasped, feeling the air catching in his throat. He wanted so desperately to pull away, to kick the man... But he was practically completely limp. He couldn't fight back. Not even a little.

Verstael forced the intruding object a little further past Prompto's protesting muscles, twisting it slightly so that Prompto couldn't help but let out a shaky gasp.

"You do like it, huh?" Verstael chuckled.

Prompto whimpered, forcing himself not to make any further noises as he swallowed and tried to think about something else, not wanting to give Verstael the sick satisfaction of hearing any more moans, groans, or gasps.

"Alright. That should do." Verstael noted, moving the swab in one slow circle inside Prompto's body, then pulling it back out. It didn't really hurt exactly. Not much... It was just uncomfortable, embarrassing, awkward and unnecessary... There was no reason for Verstael to need to know if Ardyn had done anything - no reason for him not to trust Prompto's answer. And even if Prompto was lying, it was none of Verstael's business.

Prompto choked a breathless sob, trying to curl his body in on itself. He just wanted to disappear. He couldn't believe this was happening. Why would Ardyn bring him here? Why would he hand him over to this man? Ardyn wasn't the poster-boy for kindness and compassion, but this was a whole new level of cruelty. Did Ardyn know Verstael was like this? Did he know the whole time that this was where their journey would lead? That Verstael would ask all of these uncomfortable questions, do these horrible medical examinations?

"No blood. That's a good sign. See? Harmless." Verstael shrugged, placing the swab into some king of vial and closing it up. "I must say... Your reaction to that..." Verstael started, shaking his head and closing his eyes for a moment as he breathed in a slow breath. "I rather enjoyed it. Those little moaning sounds... And you were shaking. Did you know that? I'd be interested to experience your reaction to something larger penetrating you. Something warm, slick... Something that can go faster, deeper..." He smirked down at his captive. "Did you like the feeling? It's a little strange at first, hm? But not in a bad way..."

"No..." Prompto sniffed back tears. "Please let me go home..." He begged. "I don't wanna be here. I just want to go home."

"But I've missed you so." Verstael chuckled. "You don't realize... you were created to serve me, in one way or another... It doesn't really matter what you want."

Prompto choked out a shaking sob. "Please let me go!" He whimpered, feeling his breaths increasing in speed. He felt like he might legitimately pass out. He couldn't believe this was happening. He was so humiliated, so terrified, and there was no end in sight. "I wanna go home. Please!" He sobbed.

"Shhh... Such a dramatic response to something so small. Relax. Take a breath. You're alright. I know that was exciting for you..." Verstael mocked. "But you've got to calm down. I haven't hurt you. I'm performing a medical exam. I realize it may be uncomfortable at times, but I assure you it's harmless. Haven't you ever been to the doctor, my dear boy?"

Trying to calm his breaths, Prompto blinked through his tears, staring up at his abuser. His whole body was shaking. He wasn't even sure if it was cold in here or if he was just completely and utterly terrified, even angry. This wasn't like going to the doctor. The doctor would never force such a procedure, especially if the patient was so clearly terrified, begging for it not to be done.

"How has your health been over the years?" Verstael asked, completely changing the subject. "Anything that stands out? Low vitamin levels, high or low blood pressure, any respiratory problems? Any broken bones? Sprains, history of migraines?"

Prompto's lip trembled as he stared up at the man, who still had his legs pressed up against his chest, holding them there, exposing him in the most dreadful, humiliating way.

"Well, come on, child. Answer my questions. They're not difficult." He laughed, narrowing his eyes and leaning down so that his face was down pretty close to Prompto's most private parts.

Prompto gasped and squeezed his eyes shut when he felt the man's gloved hand down between his butt cheeks again, spreading and prodding gently. "Please stop..." He whimpered. "D-don't touch me... Please!"

Verstael laughed softly, but moved his hand. "Maybe you're telling the truth after all..."

Prompto blinked his teary eyes open, sticking his lip out in a pout as he stared back up at the man.

"So, onto less intimate things..." Verstael laughed. "Other medical history? What can you tell me about yourself?"

Still staring silently as he shivered, Prompto swallowed. He felt like he was going to throw up.

"I suppose I'll have to check you out myself." Verstael frowned. "Since you're determined to be mute now." He shook his head and rolled his eyes, finally letting Prompto's legs go, removing the glove from his hand, then taking out a stethoscope, pressing it against Prompto's chest. "Breathe in, as deep as you can." He ordered.

For a moment, Prompto felt like he should fight the man on this, to refuse to breathe... To be difficult in the only way he was able. But then he wondered if he'd be better off to just do what he said while it wasn't something horrible. It wouldn't do him any good to make the man angry. It might feel like a win in the moment - to exercise any degree of control he possibly could, but it would only make Verstael hurt him worse. It wouldn't be worth it.

"Breathe in, please. I'm going to start getting frustrated in a moment... You don't want that." Verstael stared.

"Okay..." Prompto whispered, inhaling a deep, but shaky breath.

"One more." Verstael ordered. "Try to calm yourself down. One slow, deep breath."

Prompto nodded, closing his eyes and breathing in again, a little deeper and a little more evenly.

"Good boy." Verstael smiled, putting his hand lightly on the top of Prompto's head. "Have you ever had surgery or any other invasive medical procedures back home?"

Prompto shook his head. "No." He whispered.

"Any dental problems?" Verstael asked.

"No." Prompto answered.

"Open up." Verstael demanded, stepping closer to Prompto's face and reaching toward his jaw.

Feeling his breaths catch in his throat, Prompto stared silently back, snapping his mouth closed and tightening his lips.

"Open your mouth, boy." Verstael glared. "You don't want me to have to pry it open myself... You may end up with your jaw broken."

Prompto shrunk down, but reluctantly opened his mouth. It felt entirely wrong to do so, but he hardly had a choice. He felt his lower lip trembling as he stared with wide, frightened eyes up at his captor.

"Don't bite me." Verstael warned. "I'll likely break something if you do - maybe a finger, maybe your little wrist. Likely both and then more. Keep being a good boy for your father and nothing bad will happen to you."

Prompto closed his eyes, feeling more and more like he wanted to vomit, but holding still as he felt Verstael's hand on his lips, forcing his mouth open further. The man pressed and pulled and Prompto's lips, perhaps looking at his teeth. He then felt a few fingers slide in over his tongue, nearly gagging him. The man felt around in his mouth, sliding his fingers deeper.

Feeling himself beginning to tremble, Prompto forced himself to hold still, to not bite down as Verstael moved his fingers further back over his tongue, sliding them pretty far back, then halfway out of Prompto's mouth, only to slide them right back again. Prompto choked out a muffled whimper as tears pooled up in his eyes. He couldn't understand the medical purpose of this. What was Verstael doing?

As his captor continued sliding his two fingers in and out of Prompto's mouth, back over his tongue, toward the back of his throat, Prompto choked out a muffled sob and tears started streaming down his cheeks. Everything Verstael did was creepy, wrong, unnecessary. Even if a medical exam was needed, this wasn't it. This wasn't medical. This was something else.

Verstael didn't move his fingers out of Prompto's mouth until Prompto finally choked on them, nearly vomiting.

Verstael moved his hand back with a smirk, leaving Prompto coughing and shaking below him. "You've got a nice little mouth, Prompto. Wouldn't mind exploring that a bit later." He laughed.

"W-what?" Prompto shrunk back. What did that mean? Was that a threat? A threat of something sexual?

"What do you and your prince get up to?" Verstael changed the subject as he put what looked like some kind of blood pressure cuff around Prompto's upper arm. "I hear you're good friends. That's something I wouldn't have ever seen coming when I made you..."

Prompto frowned as the cuff slowly tightened. "We just... like hang out... Play video games and talk and stuff..." He answered, still feeling quite breathless. His underwear was still down. He was still entirely exposed. "C-can... Do you think you can put my underwear back on me?" He grimaced. "Please?" He added in a breathless voice.

Verstael shook his head. "No. We probably shouldn't. I still have a lot I want to check out on your little body. It'd be easier without clothing in the way. You realize clothing isn't natural, right? You were born without it. You'll live."

Prompto's lip trembled as tears began stinging his eyes again. "I'm cold... and scared..." He whimpered.

"I know, sweet little child. I know." Verstael was smiling. He looked to be really, really enjoying all of this. It made Prompto feel like he might legitimately throw up.

"I j-just don't wanna be all the way naked..." Prompto whispered. "Please..." He felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He'd never felt more vulnerable in his entire life. Ever. Not even in the moments when Ardyn scared him most, or when his adoptive father beat him, or when his uncle got drunk and tried to hurt him. No. None of that was as bad as this. "Please... Just my underwear. That's it... Please just let me have that..." He whispered.

"It's only natural." Verstael smirked. "You began your life naked. Everyone does. You may feel exposed, but it's only because you were raised to feel ashamed of your body. And you've got no need to feel that way. You're lovely, my son."

Prompto shook his head. He wasn't ashamed of what his body looked like - not anymore... He was terrified that Verstael seeing that part of him would give the man ideas... That Verstael would hurt him. He was cold, embarrassed... It was normal to not want to be completely naked and drugged lying on a table in front of a creepy stranger.

"Do you remember before? Back in the lab?" Verstael cocked his head to the side. "The one you were made in. The one you began to grow up in... Do you remember it? You were so young when you were taken... You were one of many, my treasures... I had you safely stored away, perfectly docile... You never caused me problems. Not like you do now. You cooperated back then. You rarely cried."

Prompto felt his eyes widening as a flash of a memory went through his head. "What lab?" He whispered. Did he remember? It was a cold place... He didn't do much... He was in a vat of some kind... Just lingering there, waiting to be put to use... But he was so small, so young... Was that real? He'd had dreams about it before - just being in a vat of water, unable to scream, but feeling terrified and cold. The dreams were only ever a few seconds, then he'd wake up sweating and breathing hard... Was that a memory? Was that the lab? Was it real?

"You remember, don't you?" Verstael's voice sounded hopeful. "You were unclothed then, and you didn't care... You only cared that you were cold, but you were unashamed."

"I didn't know any better..." Prompto whispered, staring with furrowed brows past Verstael's shoulder.

He did vaguely recall that... being naked, in the vat of liquid... He swallowed, feeling a strange sensation in his throat, up into his nose. Some kind of tubing had been there, perhaps to feed him, to keep him breathing... He didn't eat formal meals. He didn't drink, wear clothes, sleep in a bed... He just stayed in that vat... the liquid... was it blue? A pale blue?

Prompto felt himself shudder. He was always so cold back then... but he didn't know what it felt like to be warm... Not until he was stolen away. Someone pulled him out of the water one day, wrapped him up in a coat or some kind of heavy clothing... and smuggled him out. He still just barely remembered the feeling of his body being all covered up. The clothing he was wrapped up in had been wet from the vat, but warmer than the water. He had felt so warm, for the first time in his life... but still so scared. He hadn't known what was going to happen next, if the man taking him was going to hurt him.

He remembered a voice. Whoever had taken him had talked to him. He talked a lot... but Prompto hadn't been taught to speak. No one else had ever really spoken to him... He didn't understand. He only heard the noise. It was scary at first, because he didn't know what the man was saying, if it was something bad, if it was threats, descriptions of some kind of punishment... Then when he realized the man wasn't angry with him, his words were comforting. Prompto remembered holding perfectly still in the man's arms, waiting, wondering, feeling terrified... But eventually he grew to enjoy the man's voice. He remembered singing... The man had sung and rocked him like a baby while they were traveling on some kind of car or train... It was night time... It was cold... It was snowy...

Then... he didn't remember... The vague memories of being cold, with the tubes down his throat, then the man pulling him from the water, talking and signing to him as they traveled... That was it. That was the extent of the memory. Somehow he'd ended up with his parents in Insomnia, but they weren't the ones who took him. He still didn't understand why he was in the lab in the first place or who saved him from it.

"Who took me?" Prompto frowned.

Verstael shook his head. "I never discovered the answer to that... I had suspicions, but no one would confess... You weren't theirs to take. You're mine. You were always mine... I made you, my boy." Verstael commented, running his fingertips down Prompto's arm, resting them over the bar code tattoo on his wrist. "You're my creation. One I'm so proud of... I only wish you hadn't been stolen. To program your mind for what I'd originally intended at this point might be next to impossible..."

"Program?" Prompto breathed. "L-like a robot?"

Verstael laughed softly. "Kind of like that... But I don't think I need you for it anymore. We can use you for something else. It may end up having been a good thing that you were taken. That you were able to grow up on your own, mature into a beautiful young man with emotions, fears... The others don't have some of these delicious little qualities you have. They aren't meek and fearful, with soft hair, wide, expressive eyes... There's something so different about you, and it's not a bad thing."

Prompto felt his lip trembling. He wished he could be brave here, that he didn't feel so much like he wanted to cry. He wondered what Noct would do in a situation like this. He'd probably be more angry than anything. Gladio certainly would. Gladio wouldn't cry. He wished he could be strong and stoic like Gladio would be.

"Perhaps I'll leave you alone for a bit and go test for DNA on the anal swab. And these blood samples." Verstael suggested. "I've got other supplies I need to collect as well. Give me twenty minutes or so... DNA will take a while actually, but I can get it all started..."

Prompto stuck his lower lip out in a pout. He hadn't even noticed the man take blood samples. He must have been so preoccupied with being drugged, tied down, and undressed that he hadn't felt it. When had it even happened? Maybe early on, while he was completely panicked.

"Wait!" Prompto called out as the man turned to leave.

Verstael looked down at him with a raised eyebrow.

"W-why was I in the lab? In that vat of water? What do you mean that you created me? D-do I have a mother?" He frowned. Verstael couldn't just drop all these vague bits of information and then walk away. "And you said there were many? I was one of many? Is... Do I have brothers and sisters?"

Verstael let out a laugh. "You're so hung up on family considering you don't really have one... There are others, but they wouldn't see you as a brother, my son. You're the only one who's been allowed to develop a personality."

"Why?" Prompto swallowed. The whole thing sounded so dreadful. He had siblings in a lab somewhere? Their minds were being programmed like robots? They didn't have personalities?

"You weren't created to live a life, child. You were created to serve." Verstael noted. "And you will. Just in a different way than I'd had planned. No more questions for now. I've got things to do... I won't be gone long."

"No! Don't leave... Please!" Prompto breathed, feeling his chest growing tight. He'd wanted answers for so long, and though these weren't the answers he wanted or expected, they were in fact answers, and he did want to know more, to understand where he came from, what the tattoo was for...

Varstael smiled. "I know you'll miss me, but please be patient, my son. I'll be back later and we'll have so much quality time together, but for now Daddy's got work to do." He chuckled.

Prompto frowned. "B-before you go... Can you fix my underwear?" He asked again.

Verstael laughed and shook his head no.

"Please!" Prompto choked, his voice shaking as he tried to pull his hands into fists. He could still barely move. He felt so tired, so defeated.

"I'll be back in a bit." Verstael noted, running his hand up over Prompto's chest on his way out of the room.

Prompto squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a shaky breath as he tried and failed to curl in on himself. He was so tired, so scared and cold. He hadn't thought it could get worse than Ardyn, but at least Prompto was never physically restrained back then. Ardyn hadn't taken off his clothes. He made Prompto pull down his pants that one time, but it was some kind of game to him, and it didn't last long. He didn't leave him tied down, naked on a medical table. This guy was positively terrifying.

Prompto blinked his heavy eyelids open long enough to stare up at the bright lights that lined the ceiling. They looked sickeningly familiar now that he thought about it. He wondered if they were the same ones in the other lab - the lab Verstael claimed he was created in... He wondered if any of it was true. Maybe the memories were false... They couldn't be true, right? He wasn't made in a lab... didn't spend the first years of his life naked in a cold vat of water... That was ridiculous... Wasn't it?

Sniffing back tears, Prompto tried to shrink down, tried to shift his body. He was so embarrassed... Verstael could have at least pulled his underwear back up, covered him with a blanket or sheet... or anything. He was being cruel on purpose, making sure Prompto was uncomfortable and scared.

Prompto closed his eyes and exhaled. He could feel his consciousness disappearing, and he wasn't sure if it was from the drug or from pure exhaustion and terror. He hadn't really slept the previous night… He wished he had though. He wished he hadn't made Ardyn mad… He wished he would have agreed to lay against him near the fire, so he could have slept and been warm… He didn't know this was what he was rushing toward instead.

Letting out a soft sob, Prompto let his eyes fall closed again. He didn't know what he was going to do, how he was going to get out of this, if getting out of this was even possible… But at least for the moment, he seemed to be passing out. He could just not exist for a while. At the moment, that seemed to be his best option.

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	12. Chapter 12

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Chapter 12

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Prompto awoke to his body flinching. He immediately tugged at his arms to find they were still trapped, and he was still exhausted enough that he could barely struggle.

Whimpering as he blinked his heavy eyelids open, Prompto saw Verstael was standing over him, staring down at him like a hungry monster. That was what had made him flinch. The man's hand was on his chest, just slowly rubbing.

"Please…" Prompto whispered, very aware that he was still undressed, that his underwear was still down around his mid-thighs. "Let me go... Please don't hurt me anymore…" His voice trembled.

Verstael shook his head. "I haven't hurt you. I would never." He frowned.

Groaning in pain and frustration, Prompto pulled weakly at his arms again. "Why are you doing this to me?" He whimpered.

"My dear little creature… You belong to me. I've told you this. You're my property. My specimen… I can do whatever I wish with you because you're mine." Verstael explained.

Prompto shook his head. "I'm not… I don't belong to anyone… I'm a person…"

"No." Verstael disagreed. "You weren't meant to be. But you have turned out so differently than the others. So much more human… I mean, I should have expected it when you were stolen… Somehow I almost believed you'd have more of what I tried to instill in you in those few short months, but it's all but completely gone, buried maybe…"

"What are you talking about?" Prompto whispered. "D-did you start programming my mind? When I was little? Like you said about the others? The ones without personalities? How many are there?"

"No need to worry about it." Verstael smirked. "I have other plans for you. Unexpected ones, but exciting ones. I believe you might enjoy it. If you're anything like me… which… you are." He laughed. "If you stop fighting me every step of the way, you can even live comfortably alongside me. Like my little pet."

Prompto shook his head. "Please let me go…" He begged.

"But you did end up different than I, in so many small ways. And you're different from the others." Verstael went on, ignoring Prompto's pleas as he ran his hand down Prompto's chest, between his legs, over his penis.

Gasping and pulling at his wrists, Prompto whimpered. The gesture had been so quick, so sudden. He honestly hadn't expected it, even with all the creepy warning signs leading up to it. "Please don't…" He breathed, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to shrink away. "L-let go! Don't touch me, please!" He choked.

"Shhh…" Verstael placed his other hand around Prompto's jaw, running his thumb over the boy's lip and licking his own lips as he continued rubbing his first hand down below. "It won't hurt." He promised. "I'll be careful. We'll work slowly since this is all new to you. I don't want to hurt you."

Prompto continued tugging worthlessly at his arms, sobs rising in his chest as he felt Verstael climbing on top of the table, hovering threateningly over him. To his surprise, the man started to unfasten the cuffs around his wrists, but unfortunately, it didn't seem to matter. Prompto was still heavily drugged and could barley move even while his arms were free.

"Please stop…" Prompto sobbed as he felt Verstael's hand grab around his arm, pinning him down even when the man didn't even have to. Prompto weakly shoved at Verstael's chest as the older man leaned down over him, using his other hand to grab at Prompto's neck, to hold him in place as he leaned down and planted a kiss on the boy's mouth.

Prompto's whimpers turned into muffled screams as the kiss continued. Verstael forced his tongue into the boy's mouth, moving it around as Prompto struggled to keep himself breathing. He felt tears streaming down his cheeks as the man's tongue moved over Prompto's. Verstael kept one hand on his captive's throat and and the other down between the boy's legs, rubbing slowly.

Prompto tried to turn his head away, but whimpered and choked when Verstael's grip around his neck tightened. The boy tried to move his heavy arms in an attempt to shove his attacker away, but he simply couldn't lift them all the way. They felt like they each weighed a ton. His legs were heavy as well. He could only manage to weakly, uselessly kick out and squirm under his attacker. It did nothing to get the rough, groping hand out from between his legs, to stop the terrifying, disgusting kiss.

Whimpering another stifled noise, Prompto squeezed his eyes closed and tried to focus on breathing through his nose. He didn't know what to do, how to make this stop. The warm sensation of this stranger's tongue in his mouth was making him want to vomit. What would Verstael do if Prompto did puke? Would he stop? Would he get really mad? Surely he wouldn't be happy if that happened...

The sound of his own choked sobs filled Prompto's ears as his heart pounded wildly in his chest. He had to do something. His choices were very limited, but doing nothing wasn't an option. He couldn't let this happen. Not if there was any possible action he could take to prevent it.

The uninvited kiss continued for a long, breathless moment, until Prompto finally squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, held a terrified breath, and bit down, the only line of defense he had in the moment. He choked out a breathless sob as Verstael finally backed off.

"You little brat…" Verstael growled, hitting Prompto hard against the side of his face.

Prompto's vision was cloudy as he groaned in pain, blinking back stars, focusing only on trying to see and breathe for a moment, until he felt his attacker's hand down on his thigh, pushing his leg up so that it was bent at his knee, with his foot flat against the table. His other leg was pulled toward it, as his underwear was still around his thighs, near his knees, effectively tethering his legs together.

"No… No, please…" Prompto sobbed, his breaths so quick and shallow he felt like he might pass out again. Verstael was heavily laying on top of him, kissing up and down Prompto's throat now as one hand wrestled Prompto's underwear off of him entirely and the other grabbed a fist of his hair.

"You're so much more than I had hoped." Verstael panted, squeezing one hand around Prompto's throat and dragging the other down his body, toward his crotch again.

Prompto winced and gritted his teeth together when he felt the man's hand grab toward his penis again, squeezing and groping painfully.

"I know what you like. I know exactly how to make you quake. Our bodies are built the same." Verstael breathed, squeezing Prompto's neck in his other hand, planting kisses on his lips, not forcing his tongue in this time, clearly having learned from Prompto's defensive reaction the last time.

"Please!" Prompto sobbed, shoving weakly with his hands again. They were all but useless to him. How cruel that he would finally have his hands free again but be too weak to use them… "Get off of me! Please!"

"Shhh… We'll get to the fun stuff now…" Verstael smirked, sliding his hand over Prompto's thigh, around toward the back, squeezing his butt cheek.

"No!" Prompto whimpered, inhaling a gasping, shaking breath as the man finally let go of his neck and climbed partway off of him. "Please stop… Stop… Stop…" Prompto begged, his voice small, breathless as Verstael grabbed him by his shoulders and twisted his body around so that he was lying on his front.

Prompto gritted his teeth together again, squeezing his eyes shut as tears spilled down his cheeks. He felt the man drag his practically limp body across the table so that he was bent over the side with his legs hanging down over the edge. He knew what was coming... He might not have been experienced in this sort of thing, but he wasn't that naive. He knew exactly what this was.

"Oh, what's happened to you here?" Verstael's voice seemed almost mocking as he ran his fingertips over the scars, similarly to how Ardyn did. "I thought when you were stolen it was by someone who would treat you like a spoiled little brat…" He noted. "Were you naughty? Did someone have to punish you?" He chuckled.

"Please let me go…" Prompto ignored the man's comments. "Please don't hurt me. Please…" He pressed his hands weakly against the table, his arms shaking as he attempted to push himself up. He was just too exhausted to do it. He couldn't…

"Relax…" Verstael whispered, squeezing his hand over one of Prompto's butt cheeks, spreading it from the other, and running the fingers of his other hand threateningly up and down between them. "Now, tell me the truth this time. I won't be upset. I only want the truth... Have you done this before?" He asked, letting his thumb rest in the absolute last place Prompto would have welcomed it. "With Ardyn? With the prince? Have you had anyone else's fingers inside you?"

Prompto whimpered shakily, choking out a tiny sob as he tried to shrink away. "Please don't do this to me…" He begged. His breaths were getting so quick now he wasn't sure if any of the air was reaching his lungs. He was so scared.

Verstael continued moving his thumb in small circles, silently threatening to push it in. "We'll do fingers first, so it won't hurt much when we finally get to it. Okay? No need to panic and cry like a little brat. I'll do everything slowly, make sure it feels good for both of us."

Prompto shook his head what little he could manage, squeezing his eyes shut as more tears spilled down his cheeks. He couldn't let this happen... but there was nothing he could do to stop it. He had no choice. He couldn't fight back, scream, run... All he could do was beg, and it didn't seem like Verstael was listen to his pleas. "Don't... Please... I'll do anything. Please..." He sobbed, feeling more desperate by the second. There had to be something he could do here. He couldn't just be doomed... Could he?

"Anything, hm? Use your mouth instead?" Verstael laughed.

Prompto choked out a devastated sob. "Let me go..." He whimpered, his voice tiny, shaky. He didn't know what to do here. He didn't know what he could do. He was so trapped, so powerless. He tried to think through his options, but he had none. The only ounce of power he had here was to beg, and thus far, it had been worthless. It only seemed to amuse his attacker. He had begged, tried to bargain... None of it was working.

"It'll be a tight squeeze, won't it?" Verstael breathed, his thumb pressing in threateningly, lightly, just barely managing to slip inside.

Groaning a frightened, uncomfortable gasp, Prompto tensed and tried to flinch away. "Stop…" He whispered, his teeth gritting together and his eyes squeezing shut tighter. "Please... I don't want to do this... Please!"

"Don't fret. I've come prepared, so you honestly don't need to be so frantic." Verstael noted, moving his hand for a moment only to return it a moment later after Prompto heard some kind of plastic cap opening behind him. Verstael's fingers were wet now, almost slimy. "You didn't think I was going to go in dry, did you? I'm a scientist… I know how human bodies work." He laughed, spreading whatever cold, oily lubricant he'd brought with him between Prompto's cheeks.

"Please don't do this… Please…" Prompto's voice shook horribly as he fought the urge to throw up. He could barely even understand himself with his voice shaking so much, but he knew Verstael could hear clearly what he was saying - that he didn't want to do this, that he was an unwilling participant… that he needed to fucking stop.

"Shh… This will be easier on you if you relax." Verstael noted, pushing one finger slowly, gently past Prompto's resisting muscles, clearly trying to be careful, to respect the fact that Prompto's body wasn't going to welcome it so easily, but still not caring whatsoever that Prompto had begged him not to do it at all.

"Ah- don't!" Prompto flinched and tensed, squeezing his eyes shut again and gritting his teeth as he felt the foreign, unwanted digit forcing its way inside him. "Please stop! You're hurting me! Please!" His breaths were so quick he felt like he wasn't breathing at all. "Stop!" He screamed, his begging quickly turning into breathless, gasping sobs.

"My sweet boy… You're so dramatic…" Verstael chuckled, forcing his finger in deeper, still moving slowly, sliding it rhythmically in and out, slightly deeper each time, over and over as Prompto's breaths increased in speed, but were becoming more and more shallow as his crying continued. He felt like he was going to faint, purely from being so utterly terrified.

"Please stop!" Prompto sobbed, grimacing and trying to shrink down further. He could hardly move, he couldn't struggle. He wasn't restrained, yet was still immobilized. The assault was so awkward, uncomfortable, and utterly humiliating. He couldn't even try to tense his body to keep the man's finger out. The lubricant, perhaps mixed with the drugs, was making it all too easy for his attacker.

Prompto's breaths were becoming more and more frantic as tears spilled down his cheeks. He was so scared, so embarrassed. "Get off of me!" He screamed, his voice shaking with tears. "Don't! Please! Don't do this! Stop!" He sobbed.

"Relax. This is nothing compared to what's coming... and you're going to get yourself hurt if you keep tensing like this once the real part starts, so just try to relax." Verstael suggested as he continued the repetitive gesture. "This is such a small thing. I'm sure you barely feel it. But we're working up to the real thing. You'll love it if you let yourself. Just take a breath and calm down."

A shaky, defeated sob rose up out of Prompto's throat as he could do nothing but lie still while Verstael assaulted him. The gesture wasn't exactly painful at this point, but was definitely uncomfortable. It felt awkward and embarrassing. He'd never done something like this - not even with someone he liked, with someone he trusted... Agreeing to do this would have taken so much trust in the other person - a degree of trust he'd reached with no one in his entire life... To have it forced him him by a stranger was absolutely heartbreaking. He didn't want this. He hated it. He wanted to disappear.

"I wanna go home…" Prompto choked between sobs, inhaling a shaking moan and flinching as his attacker's finger slid in deep, perhaps at the wrong angle, creating a strange, jarring feeling inside him. "Don't! Please!" He whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut tighter as tears streamed down. "You're hurting me... Please..."

"Mmm… Is that what you like?" Verstael breathed, leaning down close enough that Prompto could feel the man's breath on the back of his neck and shoving his finger back the same way that had caused Prompto's shocked reaction a moment before. "That's not pain you feel, sweet boy, but pleasure... You like this." He chuckled.

Prompto winced a shaking gasp, squeezing his eyes closed tighter. "No... Stop… Please stop… I don't like it. Please!" He pleaded, his breaths quick and shallow as he could do nothing but remain un-moving under the man's relentless attack. "I don't want this. Let me go..." He choked.

"Breathe…" Verstael suggested, his voice low as his hand continued its assault. "Take a breath, my gorgeous boy. You're not hurt. Relax and breathe."

"Y-you're hurting me…" Prompto whimpered, trying to flinch away as he moaned in discomfort. Verstael's movements seemed to be getting quicker, more rough. "Please! Please stop!" He begged.

"Shhh…" Verstael urged again, snaking his other hand around Prompto's thigh, grabbing toward his penis again, circling it with his hand and rubbing in a slow and gentle stroking motion as his other hand moved in the same rhythm. "Just relax. You'll be okay… You'll probably enjoy this, to be honest, once you stop panicking. Just let yourself relax… It feels good."

Letting out a breathless groan, Prompto squeezed his eyes shut, pushing up against the table with his hands again, his arms shaking so much as he tried desperately to make any bit of difference, to get the man off of him. "Stop… Please…" He whispered again, feeling entirely embarrassed and devastated by the man's intruding finger, slowly sliding in and out, gliding easily now thanks to whatever disgusting substance he'd coated it with.

The hand gripping lightly around his penis, slowly, carefully stroking felt so awkward, unwelcome, terrifying. Prompto couldn't help the rather loud, breathless, devastated sob that tore from his throat. What if his body reacted to this on its own, without his permission? It all felt so strange. What if his body acted like he liked it, and Verstael thought he did?

Prompto had touched himself down there before - it was only natural that he was curious about the interesting, largely pleasant feelings that arose when he did so. It felt good when he did it on his own, but this didn't. This wasn't on his own terms. This was unwanted, painful, horrible… It was the absolute last thing he would have welcomed to have done to him, but he could feel tiny bits of distorted pleasure mixed in with all the fear and discomfort. It was confusing, horrifying… He didn't like it at all, and didn't appreciate his body being confused by it.

That was the only way this could get worse - if his body betrayed him and reacted to this as though he liked it. Prompto just knew Verstael would be arrogant about it, would be simply delighted that he was forcing Prompto's body to react that way against his wishes. Perhaps worse than the act itself would be if his body betrayed him, if he had to listen to Verstael claim it as proof that Prompto wanted it. He didn't want this.

As Verstael made no move to slow down or stop what he was doing, Prompto shrunk down as best as he could and cried soft, heartbroken sobs. It was all he could do. He couldn't move, fight back, or even scream for help - no one was around to hear him… All he could do was squeeze his eyes shut, try to take his mind somewhere else, and cry his heart out. He had never felt so lost and powerless in all of his life.

Verstael breathed out a heavy breath above him as the boy tried to close off his mind. It made Prompto want to vomit knowing the man was getting excited by all this. How the hell could someone enjoy this? Forcing someone else to do this when they didn't want to, knowing it was painful for the other person... How could he possibly take pleasure in this while Prompto sobbed, begged, and shook with fear underneath him?

Prompto whimpered, gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes closed even tighter as the man forced a second finger next to the first. Prompto felt himself stretching uncomfortably around the man's digits, and was honestly starting to get scared the gesture was going to leave him injured. How could he even mend an injury like that? Likely out of reach… What if Verstael's fingers tore or otherwise broke something inside him and he was broken forever? In pain down there for the rest of his life?

"Relax." Verstael whispered, making no move to stop what he was doing, clearly still unsympathetic to Prompto's obvious discomfort.

By this point Prompto had given up on begging. He couldn't shrink away and his words were falling on deaf ears. He almost felt like the drug he'd been given before was even stronger now. He couldn't move. He wasn't sure if the drug was affecting him more, or if his breaths were so quick, shallow, and insufficient that he was close to passing out from lack of oxygen.

Prompto squeezed his eyes closed tighter as he tried his best not to focus on what was happening, choking out pained, terrified sobs as he pulled his hands into loose fists. There was nothing he could do to stop this… and it seemed like it was only going to get worse. This man wasn't going to let him go… He clearly saw this as more than a one-time thing. He wanted Prompto to stick around, so he could do this to him again and again. This was going to last forever.

Prompto whimpered and shrunk down, trying to turn his mind off, to think about something else - anything else. He thought about the sky, clouds, stars... How nice it would feel to go outside on a hot day when it was raining, close his eyes, and angle his face so the rain droplets would hit his skin. He imagined the tears streaming down his cheeks being rain instead, cold instead of warm, refreshing rather than painful.

He thought about what it would be like if he'd been born a prince, if he'd been born into Noct's family... If they were brothers, and Prompto had a dad who loved him, a real family... A family who noticed him, who would worry about him if he didn't come home, who would look for him the second they knew something was amiss... It would even be cool if Iggy and Gladio were his brothers too. Ignis could cook him that crazy-delicious desert he made that one time, and Gladio could stand up to bullies for him, be like the big brother he'd always wanted.

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he squeezed his eyes shut, shrunk down and did his very best not to focus on what his body was feeling. He just needed to think about his friends, about what life would be like if he got to build it himself, completely from scratch. He'd take both Noct and Noct's friends as his brothers. Noct's dad... A mom would be good too, but he wasn't sure who to assign the role to. Maybe someone who liked to read, someone who knew how to cure sickness, who'd make him soup when he got sick, who would hug him and tell him stories on nights when he was too worried to sleep...

He tried to take his mind away completely, to forget where he was entirely, but it was easier hoped for than done. He couldn't completely lose reality, no matter how much he wanted to. He wished he could just pass out again. He just wanted to be gone from this.

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	13. Chapter 13

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Chapter 13

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Ardyn shook his head as he made his way back toward the old barn under which Verstael's laboratory lied. He was almost there, maybe two or three more minutes driving time.

He hadn't made it far before deciding to turn around and come back. He wasn't sure why, but he was pretty certain he felt actual guilt over leaving the boy there. It was a strange, foreign feeling, but sure enough, it was there inside him, eating away at his mind.

When Prompto had tried to run the night before and Ardyn rescued him, Ardyn could have been angry with the boy. He should have been. He'd warned Prompto pain would follow such an action. He could have easily taken the opportunity to beat the child, twist his arm, dislocate his shoulder, tie him up without his clothes, leave him in the cold all night... any number of painful, terrifying, cruel things. He should have wanted to... but he didn't. He wanted instead to protect him, to bandage his injuries, to pretend to believe the lie so Prompto wouldn't be scared... to offer warmth under his own coat.

Perhaps that was why Ardyn was so annoyed when Prompto rejected the offer to share the garment - because Ardyn had by some miracle felt like being kind, protective, comforting, generous... All things that didn't come naturally to him, but that this child somehow had conjured up... and Prompto hadn't let him. Prompto had looked at him like he was still a monster... Ardyn had let himself appear to have a heart, a conscience... In a way, he'd shown the boy the most vulnerable part of himself - a tiny part of his being he didn't even know still existed... And instead of the boy crawling over to him, leaning into his coat, snuggling down, feeling safe and protected, being grateful Ardyn had chosen to protect him and keep him warm, Prompto shrunk away, refused to believe Ardyn could possibly do something with kind intentions.

But could Ardyn blame him? He'd spent an entire day making sure the boy feared him, killing a man in front of him, drilling it into the terrified child's mind that the man's death was his fault. He'd threatened to rape him, forced him to pull down his pants and bend over... Why would he want to snuggle against Ardyn's side? Why would he possibly think the man wasn't up to something sinister?

After that, Ardyn had gotten angry... over something petty... something that was his own fault. He'd reverted back to wanting Prompto to suffer - to feeling like Verstael was exactly what he deserved for rejecting the rare moment Ardyn chose to show empathy toward anyone but himself... But Prompto didn't deserve it. Ardyn should never have expected Prompto to trust him after everything he'd done to the boy, after everything he'd threatened him with.

He knew Verstael was a sick, twisted person, that he'd experiment on the child, probably hurt him for fun… He knew that all along, and hadn't cared until about an hour after driving away. He spent the next hour thinking about all the possible things Verstael might do… About Prompto's desperate, fearful sobs when he thought Ardyn was going to hurt him… About the fact that the boy was adopted by people who didn't even seem to want him, who neglected him, and beat him with a belt when he messed up.

Prompto was only fifteen. He was taken from one abusive man and given to another… And then Ardyn took him, abused him even more… And Ardyn did abuse him… Very much so. He might not have viciously beaten him or molested him, but he almost did one and implied he'd do the other. He had the boy so frightened of it… And then he killed a man in front of the child, made Prompto believe it was his fault… That was extremely abusive. All that leading up to leaving him with a man who immediately drugged him and strapped him down to a table…

So it took Ardyn about two hours of driving before he turned around and headed right back. It didn't seem like a long time… but two hours driving away and two driving back gave Varstael four hours alone with the boy. Ardyn was kind of dreading what the scene might look like when he finally got back into the lab. He hoped Verstael hadn't done anything too disturbing… anything irreversible.

Ardyn pulled the car up next to the barn, putting it into park and turning off the engine. He took a calming breath, then stepped out of the vehicle and made his way back toward the lab. He wasn't sure what he was going to say exactly when he got down there… That he was taking the boy back? That he'd lied to his friend and wasn't going to allow him to keep the child? Prompto was kind of rightfully Verstael's property, in a way… But then, he was also a person… Didn't technically belong to anyone…

Perhaps as long as Verstael wasn't horribly hurting the boy, Ardyn would just linger around for a while, assure Prompto that he was going to be alright, try to ease his fears what little he could... Then he could quietly steal him away in the night, leaving Verstael to assume the child had run away. Or he could just take him and let Verstael be angry about it. Ardyn was immortal - virtually unable to even be hurt. Verstael wouldn't have a choice but to go along with Ardyn's wishes.

Shaking his head in annoyance with himself and the situation, Ardyn headed down below ground, inputting the code to the lab and walking through the door. The scene that greeted him upon his entry was perhaps even worse than anything he had feared, unfortunately.

Prompto's shaking cries could be heard immediately, before Ardyn even turned the corner so that he could see the boy. That alone wasn't cause for concern - Ardyn had heard plenty of that during the trip here - both for valid reasons and for smaller things. Prompto seemed to cry a lot… But the cries Ardyn heard now were in fact pretty breathless, pained, frightened, even heartbroken. He had a pretty good idea Prompto wasn't merely overreacting. Whatever was happening had to be something pretty awful.

Ardyn exhaled and quickened his pace, turning the corner and feeling his heart sink as he took in the scene before him. The boy was nude, lying face-down on the table, bent over it, with Verstael behind him, the man's hands out of sight, but angled down between the boy's legs - one in the front, and one behind.

Prompto was no longer tied down. Even so, he wasn't moving. His hands were squeezed loosely into fists, and he flinched and tensed as he whimpered, but he was clearly still drugged, unable to defend himself in the least.

At the moment, neither the boy nor Verstael noticed Ardyn was even there. Prompto continued breathing desperate, whimpering sobs, his eyes squeezed shut, a look of pain and fear on his face as Verstael's hands moved down between his legs. The man was leaning over him, whispering something into the boy's ear as he assaulted him.

Shocking even himself, Ardyn felt a growl in his throat as he quickly made his way over toward his friend, grabbing at his shoulder and dragging him roughly back.

"Ardyn!" Verstael laughed, his voice a little breathless, surprised as he stumbled back a few paces. "You're back… And so soon. I didn't expect you just yet... Um… Give us a minute, will you, old friend? You can head into the lounge, and I'll be there in… um… let's say twenty minutes? Maybe thirty?"

Verstael nodded and forced a smile, turning back toward the boy who whimpered and flinched slightly. Prompto was clearly still drugged. He was unrestrained, but not really moving much at all… Just crying softly, weakly shrinking down, his hands in loose fists and his eyes squeezed shut. Tears rolled silently down his cheeks.

The boy inhaled a weak, shaky breath as he blinked open tired eyes, looking toward Ardyn with a defeated, exhausted stare. "Ardyn…?" Prompto whispered. "Please help me... M-make him stop… Don't leave me with him again... Please!" He whimpered.

"Shhh. I believe he's here to take his turn, after me." Verstael laughed, glancing toward Ardyn with a smirk, then grabbing a hand toward Prompto's pelvis, pulling the boy slightly backwards.

"No, please!" Prompto sobbed, his eyes squeezing shut again. "Please stop! I wanna go home. Please…"

"Don't mind him. He's in the middle of a rather dramatic overreaction." Verstael laughed, sliding his other hand around Prompto's thigh, down between the boy's legs, seemingly gripping his penis as he moved two of his fingers between his cheeks, slipping them back into the boy's trembling body, eliciting a shaky whimper and a small flinching motion from his captive. "I'll meet you in the lounge, Ardyn. Leave us for a moment." He ordered once more.

"No." Ardyn refused, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder and pulling him back again.

"You can have at him when I'm finished, Ardyn… I'm sure you had your fun during the trip over… If you're missing him, I'll be glad to share, but you need to do the same. He's mine, so I deserve a go at him too. Preferably first. He claims you and he didn't do any of this on your journey here... If it's true, I'd of course like to be the one to break him in. Then you can have at him all you like." Verstael frowned. "I really do thank you for returning him to me. He's everything I hoped for and more… but… You've got to give me some space right now."

"I don't think so." Ardyn stared. "I'm afraid I can't allow him to stay with you. I'll be taking him back now."

"Uh… no… You won't." Verstael forced an annoyed laugh. "You can't claim any ownership here. He doesn't belong to you. He's my property. My creation… You've no right becoming possessive over him now. I made him. I can do with him whatever I choose. That was the agreement. He belongs to me. He's mine to do with as I please. If you don't like seeing this, I suggest you look away."

Prompto's soft whimpers could still be heard from the table, but he wasn't even begging anymore - not like Ardyn would have expected him to. Maybe the drugs he'd been given were enough to make even speaking difficult. Or maybe he'd simply given up. Maybe he got all of his most frantic begging out of the way before Ardyn ever got here.

"Please leave us for the moment." Verstael demanded again. "I'll tire of him within the hour. He's not nearly as reactive as I'd hope. Not after a few minutes... He just shuts down... But you can experience him for yourself once I'm done. Then you're free to have as much time as you need." He offered, walking back toward the boy and standing behind him. "Your new best friend Ardyn's determined to rush this, so we'll skip right to the good stuff." Verstael glared back toward Ardyn as he reached down and started unzipping his pants. "It's going to hurt, unfortunately, diving in unprepared. You can thank him for that."

"No…" Prompto whimpered, his voice small, entirely drained, shaking, yet still frantic. "Please no… Please… Ardyn - don't let him hurt me... Please... Help me! I'm sorry I ran from you, th-that I told that man... That I sneaked away and lied about the firewood... I'm sorry. I'll d-do whatever you say from now on... I'll n-never argue or s-say no ever again... Please! Don't let him do this."

Ardyn exhaled tiredly, closing his eyes for a moment. He hadn't expected this. He figured Verstael would do medical tests, maybe try to reprogram the boy's mind… He had envisioned Verstael forcing Prompto to be hooked up to machines, fed through a tube… Not this. It figured the little fucking narcissist would literally want to fuck a younger version of himself.

"I didn't bring him here for this." Ardyn growled, grabbing at Verstael's arm and pulling him back yet again.

Verstael swatted at Ardyn's hand, glaring at him angrily. "What DID you bring him here for, Ardyn, hm? What did you expect of this arrangement? That I'd prepare him a little guest room, cook him dinner, buy him some little pajamas and a teddy bear?" He tilted his head to the side. "Were you expecting bed time stories, and kisses on your forehead, sweet baby boy?" He mocked, walking back toward Prompto and grabbing a hand hard around his hip, pulling him up and toward him a few inches.

Prompto whimpered a sharp breath, choking out a small sob and shrinking down.

"That's what your friend thought was waiting for you, I suppose. A loving daddy who'd give you cuddles and teach you how to tie a god damned tie - since clearly no one else ever did." He kicked at the boy's discarded tie on the ground.

Ardyn frowned. He had expected Verstael would probably experiment on the boy, hurt him both physically and mentally… He always knew Verstael wasn't going to provide the child with any sort of comfortable, pleasant living quarters. He knew he was delivering Prompto into the hands of a monster... He just didn't think he'd care… and he certainly didn't expect that Verstael would hurt him sexually.

He should have seen it coming though. He wasn't sure why he didn't think of it. Perhaps because he didn't expect to care one way or the other. When he began this endeavor, he honestly couldn't possibly care less what Verstael did to the child. Now for some reason, he did care… Certain things were off-limits, and that was one of them.

"He doesn't deserve this…" Ardyn spoke, not sure if he was only just now realizing that himself - that he'd thrust this poor child into a situation so dreadful and terrifying, that he was wrong to do so. He knew of course. Ardyn knew lots of things he did were wrong, evil even... He just didn't care. He felt like he'd earned the right to destroy lives because his own life was destroyed... But Prompto was fifteen. He was an innocent child.

"Who deserves anything this cruel reality we call life throws at us?" Verstael laughed, his tone erratic. "Is it so bad that I have a little fun with a project I created to serve me? I made this boy to fulfill my own needs. This is a need I have - not what I had planned, but where he's falling into place now. He's not hurt. I won't severely damage him or kill him - not that you should care... I've got so many others... This one shouldn't matter to you any more than they do... So leave us." He ordered, placing one hand on the back of Prompto's head and sliding his other back down between the boy's cheeks, apparently forcing in a finger or two again, causing Prompto to flinch and moan.

"Stop-" Prompto hissed, his little fists tightening slightly as his body shook and his eyes squeezed shut tighter. "Don't… Please…" He gasped, groaning a shaky, tearful noise that took a mere moment to turn into soft, breathless sobs.

"Damn it, Verstael. Get off of him. What the hell is wrong with you?" Ardyn growled, grabbing toward his friend's shoulder again and pulling him back. Prompto had suffered enough already. Ardyn was not going to stand back and allow this to continue. "You created him, yes, but he's got his own mind… He's a person, whether that's what you intended or not. And he's a child at that. You can't do this." Ardyn insisted.

"Just go. Please." Verstael frowned, exhaling a tired breath. "You don't know this boy… Not like I do. He's nothing to you. He's nothing to anyone. What difference does it make if I get some pleasure out of this? You've no right to care…"

Ardyn glared. He did actually know Prompto more than Verstael did… because the boy wasn't just a mindless clone. He was a person, with thoughts, feelings, fears… Ardyn had spent two days getting to know him, whether he had intended to or not. Verstael didn't. He didn't have a right to care… He still couldn't understand why he cared… but he did care, and whether it made sense or not, what Ardyn wanted now was to save this boy from the man who made him. Ardyn wanted it, so he was going to see it done. That's how things worked.

"I'm taking him back." Ardyn persisted. "And I know you don't want to try to fight me on this." He glared. Verstael wouldn't dare. He knew Ardyn wasn't an opponent he could beat.

Verstael shook his head, disappointment and anger dripping from his posture and facial expression. "Are you serious, old friend?" He glared. "My creation… My property… And you're just taking him back… After all these years, you brought him to me, only to steal him away again? Was it you who took him initially? Is that why you're so invested? Did you raise the boy in secret?"

"No." Ardyn frowned. "I told you… He was living in the Crown City. I found him by mistake."

"When I saw those marks on his back, I almost wondered if it had been you who had him all along…" Verstael stared.

Ardyn stared back, knowing how close he was to making marks just like that, knowing if he hadn't seen Prompto's back was already scarred, that he would have.

"He's going to hurt you, Prompto." Verstael growled as Ardyn shoved past him, heading toward the boy still lying face-down on the table. "He's playing the hero now… but he'll take what he wants if he hasn't already. This isn't care. This isn't protection. This is jealousy!"

"Have you the capacity to shut your mouth, Verstael?" Ardyn glared, seriously contemplating punching the man. The last thing he needed now was for this lunatic to plant further seeds of fear and distrust in the boy's mind.

"You better hope you faint before he gets you back to that car." Verstael growled. "He won't take his time. He'll hurt you so badly... You'll bleed, you'll scream... You'll wish you were here with me, taking it slow, feeling pleasure rather than blinding pain... You'll wish you were dead!"

"Verstael! Enough." Ardyn growled, staring at his friend, silently warning him just how thin his patience was wearing.

"I'm disappointed in you Ardyn… I never knew you had the capacity to let some worthless little pawn take up this degree of space in your mind… Change who you are… Turn you into a traitor." Verstael growled. "Since when are you capable of compassion? You truly do just want him for yourself, don't you? You're obsessed..."

"You've got plenty more where this one came from… You can do whatever you want with them. I think you've got more than enough to keep yourself occupied… This one's mine now." Ardyn explained, carefully removing the IV from the boy's hand, pulling off some monitors stuck to his chest and taking off his own coat. Prompto's clothing was thrown around on the floor - some of it seemingly cut to pieces. Ardyn draped the coat over the boy's back, wrapping it around his body as he lifted him into his arms.

Prompto whimpered and shrunk down against Ardyn's chest, squeezing his eyes shut as his body visibly trembled. Ardyn could even feel the boy shaking. Maybe he was still scared of Ardyn too. He had every right to be. Verstael's lies didn't help that situation. If Prompto believed them, he likely feared Ardyn was taking him to do exactly the same to him that Verstael had been doing.

"You're a thief, Ardyn." Verstael growled, knowing better than to try to fight the man, but clearly very angry.

"I'm fine with the title, old friend." Ardyn smirked, holding Prompto tight against his chest, then carrying the boy back out toward his car.

Prompto breathed out a small, shaky moan as he laid his head against Ardyn's chest, grasping weakly toward the front of the man's shirt. The child's eyes were closed, but silent tears ran softly down his cheeks.

Ardyn frowned, pulling Prompto even closer against himself, feeling a very real, painful stab of guilt in his chest. He'd delivered the boy right to this man. This man who drugged him and hurt him... in the worst way. Ardyn didn't think he'd care what happened to Prompto, but he did care. This was the one thing Ardyn himself absolutely would not do - to anyone... and Verstael had done it to what was basically his own child... And Prompto was that - a child. An actual fifteen year old little boy. Verstael was a horrible, awful excuse for a human being. That he'd do this to a young boy, who only wanted to meet him, to know him, to have a family...

But really, was Ardyn any better? He knew Verstael wasn't going to welcome Prompto with a hug, that the man wasn't going to teach him to drive and help him with his homework. He knew full well that this arrangement wasn't going to be anything pleasant... Ardyn delivered a child into this man's nightmarish lab... Ardyn was at fault here. He knew that... He couldn't take it back.

He laid the boy gently in the back seat of his car, pulling the coat tighter around his shoulders and frowning as Prompto shivered. The boy looked more than scared and exhausted. He looked like he felt ill… but maybe that was from Verstael's actions. Maybe his fear and disgust at the situation literally made him sick.

Prompto moaned softly as he seemed to try to curl in on his side, but could clearly still barely move. Tears still streamed down his cheeks. His skin looked flushed, perhaps more so than could have come from crying alone. He was more than scared and traumatized. He seemed legitimately sick.

With a frown, Ardyn reached down toward Prompto's forehead, placing his hand against it as Prompto whimpered and flinched away.

"Please…" Prompto choked, seemingly still trying to curl in on himself as he squeezed his eyes closed tighter.

The boy's forehead was warm. He was clearly feverish. Ardyn wasn't sure what drugs Verstael had given him, but hopefully it was something he could sleep off, and hopefully the fever would go away with it.

"That's all over now. Hang tight, sweet boy…" Ardyn frowned, placing his hand lightly over Prompto's collar, but drawing it back when Prompto flinched away and whimpered again. "He won't hurt you anymore… I've got you back now." He paused, feeling positively nauseated by what he'd just accidentally played a part in. "I won't hurt you... You're safe with me…" He promised.

Prompto shook his head slightly, breathing out slow, labored breaths. Ardyn wondered how aware of himself he was right now, how high his fever was… Perhaps he didn't even know Ardyn was who had him. Maybe he was presently lost in a fever dream, terrified of anyone who came close at this point.

"I wanna go home..." Prompto whimpered, his eyes squeezed closed as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"I know..." Ardyn frowned, wanting to reach out and offer a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder, but at the same time realizing touching the child even just that much was unlikely to bring him comfort.

Ardyn closed his eyes and exhaled, glancing back toward the barn before climbing into the front seat. He angled his rear-view mirror down so that he could keep an eye on the boy as he drove, but was unsure where he was even headed. He needed to let the child go. He needed to get him back home.

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	14. Chapter 14

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Chapter 14

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Prompto's eyelids were heavy. His whole body felt heavy as he blinked slowly, staring up at the sky moving slowly above him. It was cloudy this time, but besides the lack of the blinding sun, the entire scene felt familiar.

He was in the back seat of Ardyn's car again, only this time he felt more exhausted, in more pain. His head hurt. His body hurt, like when he had the flu. He looked down at himself with a frown. He was wrapped up in Ardyn's coat, but otherwise naked.

Closing his eyes again for a moment before breathing out a labored breath and forcing them back open, Prompto stared up at the clouds slowly passing above. He could barely remember what happened, how he was with Ardyn again now…

Verstael had drugged him with something… Something that made him so tired he couldn't really move - not even when the man untied his wrists. It was beyond cruel - that Verstael finally freed him but he still could do nothing as the man climbed on top of him, started kissing and groping all over him.

Tears stung at Prompto's eyes as he remembered it. Verstael had dragged him over toward the edge of the table, bent him over it, stood behind him… and forced his fingers into him. The man had grabbed his penis and rubbed - not painfully, but almost too gently... Trying to get his body to react without his permission while his fingers slipped in and out of his victim at increasingly awkward angles and increased speed. It had hurt a little, but mostly just felt extremely uncomfortable, embarrassing, horrifying… He was pretty sure he wasn't physically injured now, but emotionally, he was. Emotionally, he hurt so bad he didn't even know how to begin to handle it. He wanted to cry, to scream, to disappear entirely.

Prompto remembered being pretty much nothing but scared back with Verstael. Scared that he wasn't ever going to get to go home, would never see Noctis again. Scared Verstael was going to seriously injure him, that he'd be broken down there - in a place he couldn't get fixed without being traumatized all over again. Scared that his body was going to do things on its own, respond like it did when Prompto touched himself when he was alone, with no one else watching, when it felt good...

At some point Prompto had let his mind take him away somewhere else during the assault. He didn't know how long Verstael was even back there, because he succeeded for a moment in taking his mind away. He thought about other things and pretty much forgot where he was and what was happening. He wasn't sure why the man wanted to do what he did - why he'd derive any sort of pleasure out of forcing that on what was - from what Prompto understood - his own child. It felt like it lasted forever, as Prompto's mind wandered toward dreams to see the ocean, to ride on a boat, to ride on an airship, to see a real life cactuar - but not get too close.

As he laid there, forced to endure the assault, Prompto had tried to think of anything that made him less scared. He thought about Noctis, about the time Prompto was scared his dad was going to be mad at him for failing one of his classes and he stayed at the prince's house over-night. It was rare that he was allowed over. The king was so serious and didn't seem to welcome much fun... Usually Noct came over to Prompto's house instead. But not that night. Regis was nowhere to be seen anyway, and Prompto and Noctis spent the night playing video games, eating potato chips, and just joking around.

Noctis had known why Prompto was scared to go home. He was supportive without being suffocating. He didn't ask a bunch of uncomfortable questions. He'd just let Prompto stay there, kept him occupied, put his arm around him when Prompto fell asleep next to the prince in mid-conversation. Prompto had woken up the next morning leaning against his friend, with Noct's arm securely around his shoulders, holding him close while the prince softly snored as well.

That was when he'd felt the most safe, the most accepted. In his whole life.

All of the panic had been for nothing. His parents didn't even ever say anything to him about the failed class. Prompto wasn't even sure they realized their son failed... Even so, spending the night with Noct, feeling so safe and loved... It had meant a lot to him.

The memory of that night - a night he had been scared, but during which someone was finally there to protect and support him - kept his mind busy, kept him from having to focus on every second of Verstael's assault, his intruding fingers, his unwelcome stroking hand, his words... His taunting, sickening words...

Eventually, Ardyn had returned, and made Verstael stop. He took Prompto back with him, but Prompto's memories of the whole thing were in small bits and pieces. The two men had argued about it. Verstael said Ardyn was jealous, taking Prompto back for himself - implying Ardyn was going to hurt him too. Ardyn had sounded angry, but Prompto couldn't say what that anger was - care, jealousy… He didn't know the man well enough to be sure. Ardyn had brought up sexual assault over and over on their journey… He said something about Prompto belonging to him before he took the boy away. It stood to reason Verstael could be accurate in his accusations.

Prompto remembered feeling cold, scared, exhausted, then a little warmer as Ardyn put his coat over him, wrapping him up in it, grabbing him up in his arms. Prompto had felt a tiny moment of warm comfort then, like perhaps he truly was safe… but maybe he wasn't in fact… The moment was fleeting, and Prompto was scared all over again as Ardyn carried him away, to an uncertain fate. He remembered the man carrying him outside, putting him in his car, maybe saying something... Something about the interaction had Prompto feeling anxious still, but he wasn't sure what.

Prompto glanced up toward the front seat. He could see the back of Ardyn's head, his hair flowing lightly with the breeze. Ardyn probably didn't know he was awake, or he'd be pulling over… to make sure Prompto knew where he stood, to ensure he wasn't going to try to run… or maybe he was waiting for him to wake up so he could hurt him like Verstael did - or worse, like he was going to before Ardyn stopped him… Maybe Ardyn didn't want Prompto lying there limply, unable to move while he did it. Maybe he wanted a struggle...

Biting his lower lip as he breathed out a small breath, Prompto squeezed his eyes back shut. He didn't want to make the same mistake he had the first day, alerting the man that he was awake… He had to get away this time. He couldn't bear to go through any more of this hellish nightmare. Even if he had to run out into the desert, get lost, be killed by a monster, die of dehydration and starvation... he didn't care. It couldn't be worse than Ardyn. He'd rather die out there than be hurt how he feared Ardyn was going to hurt him.

Feeling himself shaking, both in fear and because he felt cold, even with the heavy coat wrapped securely around his body, Prompto shrunk down against the seat. Ardyn may have been playing the hero now, but the man was no hero... He left Prompto with Verstael, even knowing that the man was cruel. Ardyn knew what he would do… and he didn't care… He only came back because he was jealous - like Verstael said…

Ardyn had threatened Prompto with the same thing Verstael had started to do… He claimed he hadn't meant it, but he sure had no problem threatening it, putting his hand on Prompto's butt while his pants and underwear were down, touching him where he wasn't invited, making Prompto believe he was going to hurt him…

Why do all of that if there wasn't something seriously wrong in the man's mind? Why deliver him to his sick, twisted friend, only to change his mind and return hours later? Why get possessive and jealous and take him back?

Prompto swallowed nervously and shrunk down further into the seat. Ardyn was going to do the same thing. He took him back so he could have him all to himself. He got mad the previous night when Prompto wouldn't come up next to him, huddle under his coat with him… Prompto had probably been right to be fearful of that. Ardyn wasn't just trying to keep him warm… Maybe he was attempting to ease into a sexual interaction - to see if he could get Prompto to go for it willingly. Maybe that's why he was so mad when Prompto rejected the gesture so immediately.

Biting his lower lip again, blinking his eyes back open and staring at the sky as tears began streaming down his cheeks, Prompto couldn't help but to let out a tiny whimper. What was he going to do? How was he going to get away?

Prompto quickly brought his hands up toward his mouth, trying to keep himself quiet. He hadn't meant to make a noise… What if Ardyn heard him? He whimpered again when the movement of his arms caused the coat to fall slightly open and chill air rushed over his exposed skin.

Letting out a trembling sob, Prompto reached back down with a shaking hand, pulling the coat back closed, then glancing toward the rear-view mirror, making eye contact with Ardyn, who was staring right back.

Exhaling a shaking breath, Prompto immediately pulled himself up, scrambling toward the door as Ardyn slowed the car. He didn't even wait for the vehicle to be stopped before pulling up the lock and throwing the door open, immediately tripping and falling down onto his hands and knees as he stumbled out.

Whimpering shakily and ignoring the rocks scratching painfully at his knees and palms, Prompto scrambled back up to his feet, pulling the coat tight around himself as he began to run as fast as he could. His legs felt like jelly and his lungs felt like they couldn't hold enough air… He couldn't run fast like he normally would.

"Prompto!" Ardyn called after him. "Please don't run from me!"

Prompto shook his head as he heard the car door slam behind him, followed by quick footfalls as Ardyn began chasing after him. He tried to make his legs move faster. He tried to get his lungs to function properly, but he just couldn't. His legs felt heavy, uncoordinated. They shook as he ran. He was stumbling, nearly tripping with every few steps. He could barely breathe and his vision was dark at the edges, like the mere act of standing up alone was going to cause him to faint at any second.

"Get back here, Prompto!" Ardyn demanded. "I'm trying to help you! It won't do you any favors to get yourself lost out here, alone, sick, hurt… Come back to me, dear boy… Don't make this into a struggle."

"No…" Prompto whimpered, tripping forward, catching himself on his hands and knees with a pained whimper, then stumbling back up to his feet, pulling the coat back closed around his front as he continued running as fast as possible.

He couldn't get it out of his head what Verstael had said - that Ardyn was taking him away because he was jealous - because he wanted the same thing Verstael wanted. There was no way in hell Prompto was going to stop running now. He'd run until he passed out, until Ardyn caught him, until he reached a cliff or mountain he could jump off of… He wasn't willingly going back to the man. He couldn't. He'd rather die.

Prompto's breaths were loud, pounding in his ears, drowning out whatever Ardyn was yelling after him, but he was pretty sure he could still feel the vibrations of the man's feet as he drew closer. He was going to catch him. He was close. Prompto just couldn't run fast. Not today. Not after every disadvantage he'd been dealt.

"Get away from me!" The boy sobbed. "Please! Get away…"

"Stop running!" Ardyn ordered, his voice low, angry, almost growling. He had caught up with Prompto now, grabbing toward his arms, perhaps making a conscious effort not to tackle him to the ground this time, but still pulling him back rather firmly, causing the boy to stumble hard and collide with the man's chest.

"No!" Prompto screamed, turning himself around and tripping backward, hitting the ground with a pained gasp as his breath got knocked out of his lungs. "Get away! Please!" He sobbed, scrambling away, trying his best to keep the coat wrapped around himself as he went.

"Prompto, stop…" Ardyn ordered, looming over him as he followed along after Prompto's pathetic, weak, desperate backwards crawling.

"No…" Prompto continued crawling backward as the coat fell down off of one of his shoulders. He whimpered again, grabbing at it and pulling it back closed. "Please leave me alone!" He cried, shaking his head as Ardyn grabbed at his arms. "Get off of me!" He shouted, a renewed sense of panic seizing his heart as he thrashed out, kicking and hitting toward the man.

"Stop it." Ardyn growled, grabbing at his arms, wrestling him onto his back and pinning his wrists to the ground. "Stop hitting me." He demanded.

Prompto shook his head, sobbing breathlessly. He just wanted to go home, to be away from all of these horrible, violent, perverted men. It wasn't fair that every time he seemed to be rid of one of them, it was just so another one could claim him. He wanted away from them both. Forever.

"Take a breath, Prompto." Ardyn demanded, his voice low, frustrated. "Stop fighting me."

"No!" Prompto pulled uselessly at his arms as tears streamed down his face. "Please don't hurt me! Please!" He cried, still twisting his body, trying to kick out until Ardyn had pinned his legs down with his knees over the boy's thighs.

"Stop fighting. I won't hurt you. Just stop." Ardyn breathed.

Prompto looked down, his breaths only increasing as he realized the coat had fallen almost completely off of him. He was mostly exposed again… with Ardyn pinning him down, right on top of him… In a position where he could easily pull his own pants down and hurt him. It would take all of fifteen seconds for him… Prompto was already undressed, pinned down, inches from the man's body... right there… Completely ready for Ardyn to do whatever sick things he wanted.

"Get off of me!" Prompto screamed. A renewed sense of urgency in his actions. "Don't touch me! Get off!" He screamed, his voice loud, shaky, completely panicked as he pulled desperately at his arms, trying to kick out, to twist his body in such a way that he would throw Ardyn off of him.

"Shhh…" Ardyn hissed, letting go of one of Prompto's wrists and placing his hand over the boy's mouth. "You'll attract monsters out here… You know that? We're in the middle of nowhere. Nobody's going to hear you. Just monsters. That's the last thing we need."

Prompto stared up through unshed tears, reaching his now-free hand up toward Ardyn's, trying to pry it off of his face as he continued whimpering stifled, muffled pleas. He blinked a few times as he watched Ardyn's eyes, trying to read his face.

The man's gaze moved down toward Prompto's chest, then down lower, lingering for a moment, and he moved his hand off of Prompto's mouth, reaching down.

"No, don't! Please!" Prompto sobbed, grabbing desperately toward Ardyn's arm. "Don't touch me! Don't fucking touch me!" He demanded, trying again to thrash his body.

Prompto's breaths were quick, still frantic even as Ardyn pulled the coat back closed, didn't touch him where he'd feared. He simply pulled the coat back over him, covering him up. He hadn't seen the coat falling open as an opportunity. He could have easily done whatever he wanted - hurt Prompto any way he chose... But he didn't.

Did that mean he wouldn't do it later? That Prompto was safe with him? Of course not. He might still do it, in a time and place that better suited him... Maybe he didn't want to do it out here on the ground. Maybe he'd take him back to the car first, do it in the back seat... or rent a motel... Prompto was too weak to fight back, to save himself. He was still feeling the affects of the drug Verstael gave him... And Ardyn had some type of drug too - he could use it again if he wanted, if Prompto made things too difficult. If he wanted to rape Prompto... he would. Just because Ardyn wasn't viciously assaulting him right out here in the dirt didn't mean the man wasn't interested in it.

"Calm down." Ardyn breathed, adjusting the coat so that it covered just about everything below Prompto's chin.

Prompto's breaths were still quick, shaking with tears. He wasn't sure what to do - what he even could do. He was not in control here. Not even a little.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Prompto." Ardyn promised again.

Prompto shook his head, blinking his eyes closed as further tears dripped down his cheeks. "I don't believe you... I wanna go home..." He whimpered. "I j-just wanna go home..."

"I know." Ardyn's voice sounded almost sad, disappointed. Maybe he was angry with Prompto for fighting back just now, for running.

"Please don't hurt me…" Prompto whispered, his breaths slowly evening out more as his fear very slowly, yet cautiously dissolved. Just because Ardyn wasn't raping him right here out in the open, in broad daylight, didn't mean he wasn't going to later - that he wouldn't go ahead and do it in a few minutes or hurt Prompto in some other way. What appeared to be a harmless gesture, even a caring gesture, might not be what it seemed. Ardyn had already proven he was rough and violent, kind of a creep… The man was meticulous, manipulative... This could still all be an act, an attempt to get Prompto to trust him so he could easily hurt him later. Maybe he didn't want it to be rough and forceful. Maybe he wanted to trick Prompto into going along with it. Perhaps this was all some huge, cruel plan to lead toward that.

Ardyn wasn't his savior. He wasn't a hero. He wasn't safe. Prompto wasn't falling for this tiny moment that attempted to show otherwise.

"I won't. Prompto… You can't just run off and get yourself lost. I won't hurt you, okay?" Ardyn promised, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "That's done. I'm not going to be a bastard about this anymore... I chased you down this time so you wouldn't get yourself killed."

Prompto breathed in and out, shaky, tearful breaths as he remained pinned down against the ground, fully vulnerable to whatever Ardyn might want to do to him. If the man wanted to hurt him, in one way or another, now would be an easy opportunity. Prompto was worn down and exhausted from being drugged, hungry, thirsty, and terrified. He was already undressed, already pinned down…

Flinching away as Ardyn moved his hand up toward Prompto's face, the boy squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced, feeling the man's hand press down over his forehead.

"You've been feverish through the morning…" Ardyn noted. "How are you feeling now?"

Prompto blinked his eyes back open, staring up at his kidnapper as his lip trembled. He wanted to trust that Ardyn truly had come back to save him from Verstael - not because he was jealous, but because he didn't want Prompto to be hurt… But he just wasn't sure. Why would Ardyn have a change of heart so suddenly? After everything he'd put Prompto through? Why would he care what Verstael did if it was anything but jealousy? It wasn't like Verstael stole Prompto away. Ardyn handed him over willingly and just left. What did the man think was going to happen?

"It's going down, but I'm sure you're still feeling it…" Ardyn went on, frowning and pausing as he stared down at Prompto, finally letting go of his other wrist and leaning back. He exhaled, closed his eyes for a moment, and shook his head.

Prompto remained frozen as he stared back at the man, only now realizing that he'd just screwed up again… In his moment of sheer panic, he had forgotten all the warnings Ardyn had given, all the times he told Prompto trying to run away, screaming, causing a scene… that it would all end in him being hurt. Prompto had made a huge scene right now. He had kicked, screamed, ran... He was pretty sure he may have even punched Ardyn somewhere in the middle of it all. It was everything Ardyn warned him not to do.

Ardyn told him he would give him one free pass, to not run away again… and Prompto just disobeyed that order. He honestly hadn't meant to. He just got so fucking scared. He wasn't even thinking. He just ran, not feeling he had any other choice - but obviously he did. He could have just stayed in the car… It would have ended up the same way. He ran, got caught again… Now Ardyn was probably more frustrated, more likely to take out said frustration on Prompto… by hitting him, breaking his arm, choking him, sexually assaulting him… Any or all of the things he had threatened before.

He felt his lip trembling as fresh tears stung at his eyes. Did this one count? Ardyn already let him go with Verstael. Him coming back was an unexpected detour. Did he get a second chance? Was Ardyn taking him back a reset on that deal? Did Prompto get another free pass? One last chance to run, scream, fight back and be difficult? Or was Ardyn really going to hurt him this time?

"I was just scared..." Prompto breathed. "I ran away because I was scared... Verstael said-"

"It's okay." Ardyn interrupted. "I understand. I'm not angry with you."

"You're not?" Prompto whispered, shrinking down underneath the man.

Ardyn stared back, narrowing his eyes. "I'm fucking sorry…" He breathed, shaking his head as though entirely disappointed in himself. The man closed his eyes and shook his head again, looking up toward the sky before blinking them back open again, then looking back down at Prompto, shrugging. "This wasn't my plan… Not exactly… But my plan was cruel, and I'm sorry you got mixed into it. You didn't deserve all of this. You don't deserve it. You're a child. I'm so full of bitterness, resentment toward anyone and everyone... I took out a lot of rage on you that you didn't deserve. I orchestrated and manipulated things which I had no right to - which you didn't deserve - This shouldn't have happened."

"Wh-" Prompto exhaled, still trembling as he remained on the ground, lying on his back. He reached a hand up and out of the coat, further pulling the garment securely around his shoulders as he dragged himself up into a sitting position, shrinking away from Ardyn slightly.

Ardyn looked back toward the car and shook his head. Prompto glanced toward it as well, noticing it was a lot closer than he would have guessed. He must have really been tripping a lot and running slowly. He thought he'd made more progress than that...

"I didn't expect he'd do that." Ardyn narrowed his eyes, looking back toward Prompto again with a frown. "Please know this. I did not know he'd take his cruelty in that direction. I'd have never delivered you to him if I'd known. I didn't expect this."

Prompto swallowed, staring back with wide eyes. "I didn't either…" He whispered.

"I should have never left you with him... I gave him four hours... Four hours to do whatever he wanted..." Ardyn frowned. "Prompto, I'm so sorry I allowed him to hurt you. Four hours must have felt so long to you..."

Closing his eyes and breathing in and out a calming breath, Prompto shook his head. He almost felt like he wanted to spill out all of his fears and doubts, to vent to this man who was for all intents and purposes still a stranger, a violent, dangerous, scary stranger. He didn't want to keep all of this inside him. He wanted to blurt it all out, to cry, to beg Ardyn to hold him and tell him he was going to be okay, that it was all over and Verstael would never find him again. He needed to feel safe and secure.

He had been so scared. He felt so powerless, embarrassed... It was without a doubt the worst thing he'd ever experienced... To be kidnapped from his bedroom, dragged off by a man who drugged him, threatened him, scared the hell out of him, killed someone in front of him, told him it was his fault... Then handed over to someone even worse, who claimed some sort of ownership over him, who barely treated him like a human being, who made his worst fears reality... A cruel, perverted monster who drugged him with something that made him unable to move, but didn't allow him the luxury of being unconscious too... Who then groped all over him, taunted him while he did it... And it wasn't even quick. It had dragged out for so long, starting with the man undressing him for no real reason, performing medical tests, creepy unnecessary gestures disguised as medical tests... and then just leaving him there naked on the table to wonder what was coming next.

Prompto brought his fingers up toward his mouth as his lip began to tremble and tears started stinging at his eyes. He hadn't meant to start thinking about this again. It was over. He didn't have to be upset now... but he was upset. The memory wasn't just going to disappear. He wasn't going to simply forget all of this happened to him.

"Please know that wasn't in my plans. I can't claim that I didn't know he's immoral, that I didn't expect he'd inflict pain upon you, but I didn't think he'd hurt you in that way. I'll partake in and enable all sorts of cruelty, but not that. Never that." Ardyn frowned. "You're well within your rights to not accept it, but I need to offer you an apology here..."

His lower lip still trembling, Prompto looked away, staring at the ground as he felt his breaths picking up. He had to say something back. He had to calm himself down, shrug this off, not make it into a big thing. Ardyn wasn't his friend, wasn't his family... Prompto didn't need to talk to him about this. It was his fault Prompto had been put into this position in the first place. If Prompto wanted to talk about this later, he'd tell Noct... Not Ardyn. Not the man who caused all of this mess.

"It's not-" Prompto started, losing the rest of his sentence before it came out. What was it he was going to say? That it was okay? That he accepted the apology? That what happened wasn't a big deal and he didn't care that it had happened to him? None of that was true.

Rather than finishing the sentence, or backpedaling and saying something else instead, Prompto simply shook his head, drawing his hands up to cover his eyes and shrinking down as soft sobs started spilling out of his mouth.

"Prompto..." Ardyn's voice was low, uncharacteristically gentle as the boy felt the man's hand rest lightly on his arm.

Prompto shook his head again, but without even a second thought found himself crawling toward the man grabbing out at the front of Ardyn's shirt and choking out another breathless sob. He didn't care anymore that Ardyn was terrifying, that all of his was his fault. He just needed someone to let him cry, to hold onto him, to make him feel like he was safe in this moment. Maybe he was being naive, but in this moment, he truly did believe Ardyn was telling the truth when he said he was sorry, when he said he wasn't going to hurt him anymore.

"I'm sorry..." Ardyn breathed, wrapping his arm around Prompto's shoulders and resting his other hand on the back of the boy's head, holding him close as Prompto continued to sob.

"I was so scared..." Prompto whimpered. "I always wanted to know wh-who my r-real family was... b-but I wish I never met him... I ha- I hate him..."

"I know." Ardyn moved his hand lightly over Prompto's shoulder, gently petting against the back of his head with his other hand. "What he did was terrible... He had no right to do that to you, no matter what sort of ownership over you he's trying to claim. It doesn't matter how you came to be, who you're related to... He had no right to hurt you like that."

Prompto shook his head again, squeezing his eyes shut as tears continued rolling down his cheeks. He sniffed, trying to get his crying to calm down. Maybe confiding in Ardyn about this wasn't such a bad idea. The man seemed willing to provide comfort... and it wasn't like Ardyn didn't already see all of it. Prompto didn't need to feel any more embarrassed than he already did. Ardyn had walked in and saw Prompto fully naked, lying face-down with Verstael's hands on him... Prompto was drugged, sobbing... with a stranger sliding his fingers in and out of him, stroking his penis... Ardyn had seen everything. It was the most terrifying, humiliating moment of his whole life, and Ardyn had already seen it. What was there to even hide at this point? Who better to confide in than someone who'd already seen the worst of it?

"He cut my clothes off almost right away." Prompto whispered. "I was cold... He pulled my underwear down and j-just left me there for a while. I fell asleep..." He whimpered, balling his hand into a fist around the front of Ardyn's shirt as he used his other to securely grip the coat that was the only thing presently covering his dignity.

"He was being deliberately cruel." Ardyn noted.

"Yeah..." Prompto sniffed. "He asked creepy questions and made creepy comments... I knew something horrible was coming. I could tell... I was so scared the whole time."

"I'm sure..." Ardyn frowned. "You poor thing... You didn't deserve any of this - including what I did."

Prompto closed his eyes again, resting his head against Ardyn's chest and inhaling and exhaling a slow, shaky breath.

"I know you were scared. I know you're feeling betrayed, hurt... but you'll be okay now. You can survive this and move on. It isn't a reflection of you in any way. It doesn't need to define you." Ardyn reminded him. "This was a horrible moment, and it's over now. You're safe with me."

Prompto inhaled a shaky breath, blinking his eyes open and looking up toward Ardyn, who was staring out into the empty plains in front of them.

"I should have seen it coming." Ardyn spoke, his voice soft. "I should have been more careful with you. In fact, I should have never done any of this. I'm so bitter, so angry... So many years of life, unending, never getting what I deserve, never getting proper revenge or closure... It's turned me into a bigger monster than even I realized. I knew he'd hurt you. Not like that, but I did know he wasn't going to do anything nice. I didn't care. I hurt you too... It was amusing to me, but it shouldn't have been."

Blinking, Prompto looked back down, focusing on the front of Ardyn's shirt, then closing his eyes and leaning forward, letting his forehead rest against his kidnapper's chest. "I didn't want him to do it..." He whispered.

Ardyn spoke again after a long few seconds of silence. "Prompto, I know that... Don't blame yourself for this. There was nothing you could do. I put you into this position. Verstael took advantage in a way he had no right to. None of it is your fault..."

"I know." Prompto whispered. "J-just... I was scared... Th-that he'd think I liked it... That my body would react... I started kinda spacing out, trying to think about something else... anything else... and I wasn't all there anymore by the time you got there. I don't know if it looked like... if I... I'm not sure what it looked like when you walked in..."

Prompto squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled a shaky breath. He had been so frantic, so terrified... Before he started forcing his mind to go elsewhere, he had felt those tiny tingling feelings down below, similar to the feelings he felt whenever he touched himself for pleasure. Those little shadows of good feelings were even worse than the pain. He didn't know if maybe Ardyn could see it, if the little bits of pleasure mixed in with the pain and terror were visible... Maybe he'd think Prompto invited all of it, that part of him was enjoying it.

"It just felt-" Prompto cut himself off with a trembling lip as tears welled up in his eyes again. "It hurt and I was so scared, but some part of my body was maybe starting to get confused. I didn't want it, but maybe my body thought I did... If it looked like that..." He trailed off.

Prompto could feel Ardyn shaking his head as the boy continued leaning against him. "That doesn't matter. You told him not to touch you. He didn't listen. That, and you're not old enough to consent. Rape is rape."

Rape? Prompto inhaled a small, shaky breath as his eyes widened. It was rape, wasn't it... Even though Verstael hadn't used his penis, hadn't gotten to the worst part... It was still rape... Forcing his fingers into him, touching him where he wasn't invited... That still classified as rape.

"This isn't what I wanted to come of this arrangement." Ardyn continued, leaning back slightly and looking down into Prompto's eyes. "Please know that, Prompto. I can't claim I didn't know he was a twisted monster… but I didn't expect he'd take it in that direction. You're fifteen… You're a child…" The man frowned, staring at Prompto almost as though he was trying to read his mind. "As if my own actions weren't enough suffering for you... I delivered you right to him. Prompto, I'm sorry. For all of this."

Prompto swallowed and looked down, remaining where he was, sitting with his hand gripping the front of the coat Ardyn had wrapped him in, holding it securely closed as Ardyn backed off a bit, gave him some space even though he hadn't even asked for it, hadn't cowered away or acted frightened.

"No one deserves what he was doing to you..." Ardyn stared. "Had I known he was that level of depraved... Prompto, I didn't expect he'd take things in that direction. I'd never have left you with him. I'm sorry he hurt you."

"Well… Y-you didn't know…" Prompto whispered, unsure what else to say. Obviously he knew still that it was indeed Ardyn's fault Prompto ever ended up in Verstael's grasp in the first place. Ardyn shouldn't have kidnapped him and forced him to go. Ardyn was horrible. But the man next to him right now seemed to be expressing genuine remorse, genuine disgust in what his friend had done. For whatever reason, Ardyn came back and saved Prompto... and now he was actually apologizing. None of that undid everything else, but it had to count for something.

"I don't do good, generous, helpful things. I don't care about people. I don't protect the weak, avenge victims, do the 'right' thing… or feel guilt for that matter… Gods, I don't ever feel guilt… but I think in this case I do. Prompto, what I've enabled, what I led you into… It was terrible. He was absolutely, horrifyingly terrible to you. So much more terrible than you deserve. No one deserves what he was doing to you... Especially not an innocent child. I'm genuinely sorry." Ardyn repeated. "And that means a lot coming from me. I don't feel sorry often. You know that?"

Prompto swallowed. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to tell Ardyn it was okay, that he accepted the apology… because he didn't. It wasn't okay. It was Ardyn's fault Prompto was here, that Verstael had been in the position to hurt him in the first place. Prompto would be happily at home right now if not for this man.

He could be with Noctis, playing video games, eating pizza or burgers or ice cream… But instead he was here, lying on the ground in the middle of a dusty dessert, having nothing to eat or drink in the past few days besides two cups of noodles and two bottles of water, all at once, all but forgotten by his growling stomach and parched throat by this point...

Prompto was naked except for some creepy man's coat wrapped around him, feeling sick from strange, unknown drugs that had been forced on him. Two different men he didn't know had hurt him, threatened him, scared him, drugged him… He'd been tied up, hooked to medical monitors for no reason, undressed… both men had put their hands on him in intimate places, where they were entirely unwelcome… Ardyn killed a man in front of him, told Prompto it was his fault, had him feeling like it was… No… He didn't accept any sort of apology from this man.

"I'm going to let you go." Ardyn spoke up.

Prompto swallowed, frowning and furrowing his brows. "You are?" He whispered, not sure if he believed it.

Ardyn nodded. "Not here… Not in the middle of nowhere, where you'll surely be killed by a monster... or daemon, assuming you lasted until nightfall… We'll get to a nearby town, get you some clothes… then you can make your own way back. I trust you can handle that."

Prompto quickly nodded. Whatever it took to get the guy to fucking leave. He could hitchhike across the entire continent if he had to. No stranger out on the road could be worse than the two he'd already encountered.

"Taelpar Rest Area is somewhat close. We should be able to make it there before dark. I'll pay for a motel room for the night so you can get dressed, have a shower, something to eat… Maybe sleep off the drugs Verstael gave you. You're clearly still exhausted…" Ardyn noted.

Blinking, Prompto stared at the man, wondering if it was really going to be this easy, if he was truly just going to let him go after all this.

"I'll ask that you not speak of me, or Verstael… To anyone." Ardyn instructed. "Tell anyone who asks, you ran away from home. Got lost, in over your head… Understand?"

Prompto nodded, pulling the coat tighter around his shoulders.

Ardyn stared back at him, narrowing his eyes and cocking his head to the side. "You're so young…" He said softly, dragging himself up to his feet, then reaching down, offering his hand down to Prompto.

Reluctantly, Prompto accepted the gesture, letting the man pull him up to his feet, but keeping his other hand securely in place around the coat.

"Let's head back then… Get this mess over and done with." Ardyn exhaled.

Prompto swallowed. "Y-you're… You're not-" He started, second-guessing his question before he even fully asked it.

"Hm?" Ardyn looked down toward him with a raised eyebrow and a frown.

"Just…" Prompto looked down at his feet. "You're not mad I tried to run again?" He whispered. "You won't hurt me for that?" He still stared at the ground, wondering if he should have just kept his mouth shut.

Ardyn shook his head. "I fully understand why you ran. I'm not interested in causing you unjust pain. Not anymore. Just let me help you as far as the motel. Then I'll go. You won't need to run."

Prompto nodded silently, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He hoped this horrible detour truly was almost over.

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	15. Chapter 15

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Chapter 15

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Prompto was pretty sure he was dreaming... It was a dream he'd had before, but more detailed, longer, more distressing. He knew it wasn't real even as he was lost in it. Even so, he couldn't get himself to wake up, and everything around him felt real - so it might as well have been...

He was in a lab - like the one Verstael had hidden under the shack in the middle of nowhere - but this one was in the snow. He could tell, even though he couldn't actually see outside. He just knew. The lab didn't feel like it was being heated. Not enough. The entire place was cold, freezing cold. Cold enough that Prompto was shivering. His teeth were chattering. He felt goosebumps on his skin and could see his breath in front of his face...

Except he wasn't breathing. He was underwater. The breath he could see a second ago was gone now, replaced with a foggy blueish tint. Just water was there around him. Cold, freezing water. He was suspended in it, in a tall cylindrical vat, with tubes going down his throat, into his nose... needles and other tubes were stuck in his skin, in his hands, his arms, his legs and chest. There were so many tubes...

With a soft whimper, Prompto tried to reach for one of the IVs stuck in his hand. He wanted to remove it. He needed to get out of here... He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be hooked up to IVs. He didn't want to be fed through tubes. He wanted to go home, to put on clothes... But he couldn't move. He felt completely frozen.

He blinked open terrified eyes, watching through the glass as Ardyn walked by outside of the vat. The man didn't even look toward him. Maybe he didn't know Prompto was there. How could he not know? The vat was so obvious... Did he just not care?

A breath caught in his throat as Prompto tried to raise his hands to pound on the glass from the inside. He tried to scream, to beg for help... Ardyn would help him, right? If he knew Prompto was there... if he could see him, hear him... Ardyn wouldn't make him stay here... but his voice wouldn't work. His arms were too heavy. He still couldn't move, couldn't speak... could barely even breathe.

Choking out a tearful sob, Prompto shivered and squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't open them again until he felt arms wrapped around his chest, pulling him back. He wasn't in the vat anymore, but was still hooked up to all of the tubes. He still couldn't move, speak, or breathe.

He was frozen as the hands dragged him toward a medical bed, stiff, cold and uncomfortable. His tearful breaths shook painfully in his chest as the hands grabbed around his neck and wrists and slammed him face-down against the thin mattress. He felt his legs being kicked apart, forcibly spread.

"No..." Prompto whimpered, choking painfully, feeling the blue liquid from the vat splattering on the bed below him as it dripped from his mouth as he coughed.

He reached up with his hands, pulling at the tubes that were still down his nose and throat. He gagged painfully as he dragged them up. More liquid spilled out as he moved. He still couldn't breathe. He felt the hands moving over his thighs, grabbing his butt and squeezing, spreading.

"No!" Prompto choked, his voice breathless. "No! Please! Get off of me!" Cold, blue liquid, thicker than water, almost as thick as syrup or glue oozed out of his mouth and nose, making him feel suffocated. He sobbed, still unable to breathe as the substance filled his mouth, dripped down his chin. "Stop!" Prompto cried, his voice shaking with fear and chill.

"My son." Verstael's voice spoke, sounding far away... but Prompto could feel breath on the back of his neck. He could tell the man was close. He felt the hard, unforgiving hands on his body, squeezing at his skin, groping painfully down between his legs as the man moved his mouth in a trail of unwanted kisses up across Prompto's shoulder, up the back of his neck.

Prompto sucked in a shaking, painful breath. Was Ardyn still around? He was just out here. Where was he? Why wasn't he coming to Prompto's aide... He knew Verstael would hurt him. He knew that... Where was he?

"Help me!" Prompto whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut. "Ardyn... Help me! Please!"

Verstael only grabbed him harder, kissed up his neck toward his ear, breathing there loudly, almost in a pant, so that Prompto whimpered and shrunk down.

"Get off of me!" Prompto sobbed, trying to thrash under the man's hands. He couldn't move. His body felt so heavy, weighed down, asleep, frozen. "Please don't! Please!" He whimpered, squeezing his eyes closed as tears streamed warmly down his cheeks.

"Prompto..." A low voice spoke. It sounded a million miles away... It wasn't Verstael. It was Ardyn... Wasn't it?

Prompto shook his head. He just wanted to go home... He'd never take his adoptive parents for granted again. They weren't perfect, but at least they didn't treat him like a science experiment. He was given a safe, warm bedroom, a bed, clothing, food... It was so much better than not having them... They didn't threaten to rape him, kill people in front of him... They didn't cut his clothes off him and strap him to a bed, poke and prod him with needles, drug him... They never touched him between his legs or performed horrible, degrading medical tests on him for no damn reason.

"Please!" Prompto sobbed, pushing wildly outward as he felt hands grabbing at his arms. "Get off of me! Please!" He whimpered.

"Stop. Prompto... Stop..." The low voice continued, sounding a mix between worried and angry.

"No..." Prompto whimpered, choking out a breathless noise. He felt like he couldn't breathe, like his lungs were moving too fast... The breaths were coming, but they were too quick. His body wasn't absorbing any of the oxygen...

Prompto let out a shaky scream when he felt hands on his arms.

"No! Stop!" Prompto whimpered, flailing his arms until he felt someone else's wrap around his shoulders.

"Stop..." The voice urged as the grip around his arms grew more secure - not rough, but strong. Prompto couldn't move.

The boy choked out frightened sobs and shook his head, giving up on fighting back. The arms around him were too strong. "Please..." He sobbed, shrinking down on himself. He just wanted to go home. He wanted to be with Noct. He wanted to go over to the prince's house, or have Noctis come to his... and just sit together, with only them there. He wanted to hug Noct, feel his friend hug him back, and just feel safe. He only wanted to feel safe. Why was all of this happening to him?

"You're okay." It was Ardyn's voice, maybe Ardyn's arms around him too. "Open your eyes... You're alright." The man's voice was uncharacteristically gentle.

Prompto inhaled a shaky breath, blinking his eyes open and whimpering as he saw Ardyn in front of him, looking honestly a bit nervous as he pulled back out of the embrace he'd had around Prompto's shoulders, then put one hand lightly on Prompto's arm and the other gently against the boy's cheek. "You awake?" Ardyn frowned.

"Ardyn?" Prompto choked, his lip trembling. He immediately grabbed toward the man, gripping each of Ardyn's sleeves in one of his hands and pulling himself toward him. Whether he liked it or not Ardyn was the closest thing to a symbol of safety he had out here. "I don't wanna go back there... I don't wanna go back. Don't make me go back..." He sobbed.

Ardyn was silent for a moment, putting his arms carefully around Prompto's shoulders, seeming a little hesitant to do so.

Prompto shook his head and sobbed pitifully. "Don't let him take me back... I don't want to go back there. I wanna go home..." He whimpered. "It's was so cold... He's was so mean... Don't make me go back."

"I won't..." Ardyn's embrace grew slightly more secure. "You don't have to go back. You're with me. I'm taking you home. Remember?"

Prompto shook his head, remembering how real the dream had felt. It was a dream he'd had before, but more detailed, more excruciating, with new, added bits with Verstael. The dream he used to have was so short and was pretty much just the cold vat and the tubes. Now the dream was even worse, longer. He wondered if this version of the nightmare would plague him forever, if he'd dream it as often as he used to dream the short version. He hoped not.

"Child, you were only dreaming." Ardyn reminded him again. "You're away from him. I know I've hurt you too... but that's done. I've had a change of heart and will do what I can to ensure your safety from here. You're going home."

Shaking his head again and gripping Ardyn tighter, Prompto whimpered. The dream felt real. He could practically still feel the cold liquid on his skin, the same fluid choking up out of his throat, Verstael's hands grabbing him, forcing him down while he hurt him.

"You don't need to be frightened." Ardyn went on. "You may not believe me, but I truly have your interests at heart at this point. We're going to get you back home."

Prompto shivered, closing his eyes and inhaling a small, shaky breath. "I was back there.. He was hurting me..." He whispered. "I was in the vat, with tubes in my mouth... I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe..." He sobbed. "You couldn't hear me. I couldn't even scream. I was so scared..."

"It wasn't real. You're with me. You're not back there. You're here... You were having a nightmare, sweet boy... You're alright..." Ardyn assured him, hugging him closer. "You're not going back to him..." He paused for a moment, pulling back slightly and staring at Prompto with furrowed brows. "Wait... You remember the vats? Tubes?"

"Yeah." Prompto whispered. "He said... He asked if I remembered the lab... I didn't remember it until he said it... b-but I think I do... When he asked, I almost could see it in my mind. I've had dreams about it, but I never understood that it was something real... I thought it was just a weird dream, but it was somewhere I'd actually been... The big vats of water... They were so cold. I had tubes down my throat. I couldn't talk or eat or even breathe air... I was just in that vat. All the time. No clothes... Completely cold."

"You were so small... You must have only been three when you went missing... When you were stolen..." Ardyn noted, a surprised look on his face. "Perhaps not even three yet... You remember? You poor, dear little child... What a painful memory for someone so young, so innocent... I never considered you might remember any of it... Who took you? Do you know that? Can you describe them? I've always wondered... Verstael suspected me, all those years ago... but he suspected everyone."

Prompto blinked up at him. "You weren't the one who took me?" He frowned. Part of his mind was starting to believe maybe it had been Ardyn. The man was helping him now. He knew so much about him... Whoever had taken him had wrapped him up in a coat, like he was now. His rescuer had sung to him - Ardyn had mentioned enjoying music.

"It wasn't me, Prompto." Ardyn frowned. "Although I almost wish it were... I'd like to think I wouldn't have ended up returning you if I had been your original rescuer, but my patience is so thin... My heart is so cold."

Prompto sniffed, finally looking around himself. They were in the car, pulled over. Prompto must have been flinching, whimpering in his sleep. He wondered if he had screamed, kicked out... Ardyn had to pull over to get him to stop, to calm him down. "I'm sorry..." He whispered, shrinking down as he looked back over toward his captor. "I didn't mean to be loud... You didn't have to pull over... I'm sorry."

"It's okay... It was a nightmare. You can't control that." Ardyn frowned. "Shall I get you some water before we continue?"

Prompto nodded, settling back in the seat and pulling Ardyn's coat more securely around his shoulders as the man stepped out of the car and headed toward the trunk. It was indeed cold out here. That probably contributed to the dream - the fact that he was in a snowy lab, in a freezing vat of water... Because his body was chilled in real life too. He was shivering.

"You alright?" Ardyn wondered as he made his way back up into the front seat. He leaned over toward his passenger and pulled the coat further around Prompto, making sure it was snug, even though the boy had already done so himself. Ardyn then ran his hands lightly up and down Prompto's arms. "Are you cold? I can put the top up."

Shivering slightly, Prompto nodded. "It is kinda cold." He whispered, taking the bottle of water from Ardyn and allowing himself a rather generous gulp. He still felt tired, but not as exhausted as he had before. The drug had worn off, mostly. He was cold though. Maybe the fever wasn't entirely gone just yet.

Ardyn seemed to wonder the same thing, as he before he started driving again, he leaned across the seat and placed his palm lightly against Prompto's forehead. "Still a little warm." He noted. "Are you feeling better?"

"I think so... Mostly." Prompto whispered.

"Alright. Make yourself comfortable. We've got a bit of a drive still ahead. If we want to make it to the rest area tonight, we've got to keep going." Ardyn noted, starting the engine, then pressing something that started putting the top of the car up.

Prompto frowned as he huddled down in the seat, making sure Ardyn's coat was wrapped tightly around him, covering everything and keeping out the cold.

"Are you okay going home?" Ardyn suddenly asked out of nowhere as they started back down the road, furrowing his brows as he glanced across the seat. "Your adoptive family leaves a lot to be desired... I won't claim I'm much of a paternal figure myself, but they could surely do better for you..."

Prompto inhaled a small breath, hoping this wasn't the start of Ardyn changing his mind, refusing to take him home and blaming it on not trusting Prompto's parents. What was his alternative suggestion? For Prompto to go live with him? He didn't want that. He wanted to go home - to Noctis. He didn't give a damn if he ever saw his parents again - he barely did in the first place... But he cared about Noctis. He wanted to go home for him.

"I could potentially make space for you for the time being-" Ardyn started.

Prompto felt his lip trembling. "I want to go home..." He whispered. "Please let me go home. You said-"

"Okay." Ardyn frowned, glancing toward Prompto with furrowed brows. "It was a question, not a demand. I'll take you home... Just wanted to make sure I wasn't delivering you to yet another abusive jackass. I don't mean to get invested in your well-being, but after all this I almost feel I owe it to you to make sure you're headed someplace safe. Whether it's often or not, I don't like the idea of that neglectful man viciously whipping you for petty mistakes."

Prompto shook his head. "I'll be fine. My dad barely ever hits me, and he's hardly ever home anyway. I don't usually have to worry about even seeing him. I just want to go back... For Noct... I don't even see my parents most days, but the rest of my life is there. Noctis is there. He's my family."

"Very well." Ardyn nodded.

Prompto looked down, hugging the coat around himself more snugly.

"I'll bet your prince would let you live with him if you told him what you told me." Ardyn mused.

"I know." Prompto whispered. He'd already told Noct, and Noct did indeed offer to talk to his dad about Prompto living with them. Prompto didn't want to make a big deal of it though. He didn't want the king to feel like Prompto was his problem. His dad didn't regularly abuse him. It was so rare. It wasn't a big enough issue to make a whole scene of it. For the most part, it was like Prompto was living on his own, but with his parents paying the bills. He got to go out with Noct, Iggy, and Gladio any time he wanted. He could invite Noctis over and his parents were never there to bother them. It wasn't that bad... and if he had to be hit, grabbed too hard, or yelled at once every week or two, that was the price he'd pay for those freedoms. It could have easily been worse. They didn't hit him every day. They never sexually abused him. He had food, a bed, clothing... Things could have definitely been a lot worse.

"At any rate, is there anything else you'd like to discuss? We've a long drive still ahead." Ardyn shrugged. "Maybe three and a half more hours... Or you could try to rest. I can see you're exhausted."

"I don't know." Prompto looked down. He was still pretty tired. He felt like ever since Verstael drugged him, he'd been tired. Maybe it just took a while to wear off. Hopefully it would soon. He was tired of being tired. He wanted to be awake, to be able to have a conversation without falling asleep in the middle of it.

"You've not been out in the world much." Ardyn noted. "Not that you remember... You did travel far as a young child. You're aware of that."

Prompto frowned. "I don't know where I came from. A lab... That was cold... That's all I know." He whispered.

"Oh, really?" Ardyn glanced toward him. "He didn't answer your questions did he? Or were you ever afforded the change to ask?"

Prompto shrugged. "He wouldn't answer... He mentioned the lab, then when I started asking for more answers, he left me there alone for a while. I fell asleep and woke up with him hovering over me... being creepy..." He looked down, biting his lip.

Ardyn nodded. "Niflheim. That's where the lab is. He created clones of himself to serve as an army of sorts... Kept them all in vats, as a sort of storage area between training and programming... Well, I'm sure they're still there... You weren't ever meant to function as a human person... You were to be his little soldier... Not a single thought of your own... Just obedience."

Prompto felt his mouth drop open as he stared across the car at Ardyn. That was a lot of information. A lot of really disturbing information...

"So you indeed traveled far. Even if you don't recall it." Ardyn shrugged. "Let's keep that information between us, by the way... You wouldn't want your prince to know where you're from."

Prompto felt his lip quiver. "Would he hate me if he knew? Am... Am I his enemy?"

Ardyn nodded. "Yes, my sweet boy. You are... But he need not know it. You keep that little bar code covered, keep your mouth shut about all this. He'll still love you. He'll accept you. Nothing has to change."

Prompto nodded quickly. He couldn't tell Noct. He couldn't tell anyone back home. Niflheim and Insomnia didn't necessarily have a good relationship. They might seriously kick him out if they knew... Wouldn't they? He was the enemy, right?

"It's not your fault." Ardyn went on. "No need to dwell on origins. You're not from there now. You're a Lucian now... more or less. As far as anyone needs to know."

"Yeah." Prompto breathed, nodding. "I am... I barely remember the lab... I remember Insomnia. I remember Noct..."

"Of course." Ardyn smiled, but it looked a little sly. "Do you remember your trip over there?"

"No." Prompto shook his head. "Hardly at all... Just the man wrapping me in a coat or something. Something heavy... And singing to me. Rocking me to sleep. I was scared. I didn't know how to talk... He was talking but I couldn't understand."

Ardyn nodded. "I'll bet you rode in an airship - perhaps a boat. Insomnia is so far."

"Yeah. I wish I could remember. I've always wanted to ride in an airship. A boat too. And on a chocobo... That would'a been cool. If he rescued me and we rode a chocobo together all the way to Insomnia." Prompto couldn't help but to smile at the thought of it. He wished whoever had saved him would have stuck around... been the dad he always wanted, always needed.

"Would have taken quite some time to get there on chocobo-back alone... The poor bird would need quite strong wings to get over all that water too, I daresay." Ardyn noted.

Prompto nodded. Niflheim was across the sea... Wasn't it? Geography was never a strong subject for him.

"Have you ever ridden in an airship?" Prompto wondered, turning back toward Ardyn, letting himself lay against the back of the seat. "Or seen a real-life chocobo? We saw chocobo chicks once at school. They brought them in - a farmer did... But I never saw a grownup one in real life."

"Oh yes... I've seen just about everything there is to see in this world." Ardyn answered. "Ridden in an airship, a boat, train, everything else - on a chocobo, of course... Though I don't prefer it. The smell gets old fast, and it can be a rough ride. Loses its charm pretty quickly."

"Really?" Prompto smiled. "I think chocobos are so cute... I want to ride one someday. I don't think I'd mind the smell or the bumpy ride."

"I'm sure you'll get a chance. It's not that entertaining though. You'll tire of it quickly." Ardyn guessed.

"I don't think so. I bet I could ride one all day and never get bored of it." Prompto disagreed, letting his heavy eyelids close as he continued listening. He just needed to rest his eyes. He wouldn't let himself sleep though. He didn't want to have another terrible nightmare.

"I once rode a chocobo from Hammerhead all the way to Steyliff Grove." Ardyn noted.

"Is that far?" Prompto wondered, his voice small, tired.

"Quite." Ardyn nodded. "Took several days. I camped in between. The bird was a nuisance more than an asset, but we made it there at least. There's a dungeon in Steyliff Grove - only opens at night. You'd love to see it. With your photography? You could get some impressive shots down there... Under the lake."

"Under the lake?" Prompto whispered, furrowing his brows as he tried to picture it. How would someone get under a lake. "Like in a cave?" He wondered. "Or like, does it freeze and you can like tunnel under it or something? Or like with a submarine?"

"No." Ardyn answered with a laugh. "None of those things. It's hard to describe... You'd have to see it to believe it."

"Wow... Maybe I'll visit it someday." Prompto guessed, for the moment allowing his exhaustion to keep him from asking more questions about the confusing-sounding place. "What other cool stuff have you seen?"

"Hmmm..." Ardyn paused. "Can hardly even judge what might be considered cool at this point... Nothing stands out as much as it once would have. I've seen nearly everything there is to see, my boy and rarely feel any degree of awe at any of it. I've been around so long..."

"Well..." Prompto started, blinking his eyes open and staring across the seat at Ardyn. "What about that big crystal thing in the distance? The disc of whatever... I can't remember what it's called."

"Sure. I've seen that. Within the Disc of Cauthess." Ardyn laughed. "Doesn't look much different up close... just bigger. It actually looks more impressive from a bit of a distance so you can see it all."

"That's cool though. Would be a good place for pictures. Some from afar, and some up closer. Even if it doesn't look as cool up close, I bet if you get kinda under it and angle the shot upward it'd look pretty neat." Prompto noted. "There's lots of good photo-ops around the world out here. I'll have to bring my camera if I ever come back."

"Definitely." Ardyn smiled. "I'm sure you could take lovely photos of everything... Bring them back and show your friends."

"Well... Maybe my friends could come with me. I don't show my photos to a lot of people... It's kinda like just for fun... They're memories more than anything else - for myself, for my friends too when they're with me.

"I see..." Ardyn nodded. "Memories mean a lot, I suppose... When they're pleasant."

"Yeah." Prompto agreed. "Unpleasant ones I guess are worth something too - like lessons to be learned... knowing not to make the same mistakes twice, to appreciate what's good... I remember not having friends. It makes the friends I have now mean a lot..."

"Ever the optimist, hm?" Ardyn glanced toward him.

Prompto forced a small smile. "I try to be..." He snuggled further down into the seat, closing his eyes again. "Doesn't do anyone any good to be mad or sad all the time. I try to appreciate what's going well instead of being upset over what's not."

"Well... I suppose it's a good way to look at the world when you're young... When you've got your life ahead of you... What else... How about Ravatogh?" Ardyn shrugged.

"The volcano?" Prompto frowned, blinking his eyes open for a moment. "Can you go inside it?"

"If you want." Ardyn laughed. "I wouldn't... It's pretty hot. But you can climb a bit within it if you're careful. It's a mountain after all... Just with lava running down its side. There's a royal tomb at the top. There are royal tombs all over. Overrated, but they're there."

"Wow." Prompto yawned, closing his eyes again. "Have you been to like every continent in the world?"

Ardyn paused for a moment. "I've been just about everywhere, Prompto. I've had a lot of time to kill."

"Can you tell me all about it?" Prompto wondered. "So I don't fall asleep?"

"Why don't you want to fall asleep?" Ardyn's voice sounded like he was frowning.

"Dreams..." Prompto whispered.

"Ah... Of course. Yes. I'll tell you all about it." Ardyn offered.

"Thanks, Ardyn." Prompto spoke, his voice small.

"There's a chocobo ranch that's not even that far from Insomnia. You could get there in a few days if you drive." Ardyn told him. "You can rent chocobos from just about anywhere though. Some people use them instead of cars. Again, I wouldn't, but you seem like you'd enjoy it."

"Yeah." Prompto laughed. "I really would."

"If you happen to get a chance to go out at sea - in a boat, I'd suggest, but perhaps you could fly over in an air ship... There's a gigantic creature - some say it's a regular narwhal, but it's much too big." Ardyn went on. "There are legends surrounding it... Bismark is its name. Fisherman swear it brings good luck - good fishing... But I'm not a fisherman. I have seen the creature though - from afar..."

Prompto felt a smile pulling at his lips. He wondered if it was true. If Bismark was real. "Noct likes fishing. Maybe if I travel with him we could look for the narwhal and he could catch something huge." He suggested.

"There's no harm in trying. It's typically been spotted around Altissia - and if you venture into the city, there are all kinds of things to do there..." Ardyn went on. "Food you've likely never heard of, shops, a very nice hotel... The gondola experience seems popular among those who've never ridden in one..."

Prompto exhaled a small breath, feeling himself relax as he listened to Ardyn's stories. It was odd to feel so content listening to his kidnapper talk about the world, but for some reason he felt pretty safe and secure in this moment. A lot had happened, and he wasn't out of danger just yet... But something about this moment made him feel fairly sure he might just be okay after all this...

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	16. Chapter 16

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Chapter 16

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Prompto stared at his own reflection in the mirror of the bathroom at the motel in Taelpar. Ardyn had rented the room, bought him some clothes from the nearby convenience store, and was waiting for him in the room.

Frowning, Prompto stared at his mirror image staring back. He looked so tired. His eyes were brimmed with red, maybe from crying more than from being exhausted, but he hadn't been crying for a while now…

After the horrible nightmare he'd had in the car, things had been pretty calm. Prompto sat up front, snuggled into the man's coat with his eyes closed as he tried his best to stay awake, listening to Ardyn talk. The man had a lot to say - about the world, history, everywhere he had been. Different landmarks, cities, strange cuisine he had tried. It was actually pretty interesting, but Prompto was so tired. He couldn't manage to stay awake to hear it all. He had kept dozing off, but his sleep was light. He woke up frequently, likely due to his fear of another nightmare.

Prompto hadn't said much back. He almost wanted to ask more questions - about Verstael. About himself. Ardyn seemed a little more sympathetic now. Maybe he would have finally been honest and forthcoming with answers... But at this point, Prompto wasn't sure he even wanted to know. What he had learned was horrible. It wasn't comforting. Verstael wasn't his family - whether they were biologically related or not. Prompto didn't need to see or hear anything else about the man ever again. He kind of wanted to forget the whole thing, to never think about any of it, to pretend it hadn't happened.

Looking back at his reflection, Prompto stuck his lower lip out and leaned forward, staring into his own eyes. They looked dark, haunted, foreign, maybe broken, damaged, hurt... They almost looked like a stranger's eyes to him. Eyes he'd never seen before, eyes he was scared of. He didn't recognize them... but then, he didn't often really look at himself - not his eyes... He got focused on his body for a while when he was losing weight, keeping track of his progress, but he never focused on his eyes. Maybe they weren't different now, but he just hadn't ever really looked at them before. Maybe no one not inside his head with him would think his eyes looked any different than they always did.

He blinked again, staring harder at himself, trying to determine if he was even the same person anymore as he was Friday evening, before Ardyn took him. Did he look different now? Did he act different? Of course he was acting different in this moment, scared, nervous, on-edge, while still far from home, held captive, of course he was... but when he got home, would he be able to go about his life and be normal again? Would he still like doing the things he used to? Did he ever want to take pictures and laugh and play video games ever again? Did he still like ice cream and stray cats? Who even was he anymore?

When he made it back home to Noct, would his friend be able to tell what had happened to him? Would Noct know that Prompto wasn't really from Lucis? Was Prompto being aware of it enough to change him? Was he changed from what Verstael did to him? Even if Prompto could get back to normal, would the people around him still want to be involved in his life? Would Noctis even want to be friends with him anymore if he knew all of this?

He looked at the various markings on his skin, the bruises and other injuries. It was pretty clear he'd been through something. Anyone who saw him would know someone had hit him across the face - on two separate occasions. There were marks of varying shades, varying degrees of healing - clearly made on different days. He had another mark on his forehead, up near his hair line. That one was kind of his own doing - when he was running from the monster that night he tried to sneak away.

He raised his fingertips up toward his cheek. He had a bruise there where Verstael had hit him… It was somewhat faint now, but he supposed it would only get darker. His lower lip was split too, on one side. That one had a darker bruise accompanying it already, covering about a third of his lip. He was pretty sure that happened when Ardyn first took him, but he didn't remember it actually happening.

Now that his arm was visible in the mirror too, Prompto realized just how many bruises were lining his wrists too. Finger-shaped bruises… from being held down. He knew his thighs had them too - even worse ones from Ardyn putting nearly all of his weight on him, pinning him down when he drugged him, when he caught him after he tried to run... At least those ones wouldn't be visible. He didn't have to worry about a random person out in the town seeing them and asking questions.

Looking down at himself, Prompto pulled at the plain t-shirt Ardyn had picked up for him at the store, then looked down at the sweatpants, which he'd tied rather securely at the waist - they were too big, close to falling down if he hadn't tied them in place. It was a strange fashion choice - just really basic, not the right size. He felt like he was going to stick out in a crowd, that people would look at him, see the pants that were nearly falling off of him, the t-shirt that was actually a little too big too… the bruises… They'd know something was wrong…

Inhaling a shaky breath, Prompto shook his head, trying to get all the worry out of his head. Ardyn said he was going to let him go - and the man seemed genuinely sorry for everything that had happened so far. It seemed like the worst of this was over. He didn't have to fear someone might hurt him, rape him, kill him… He just had to get back home. That wasn't that big of a problem to have - not compared to the problems he'd made it through already. He could do this. He could make it to the end of this nightmare. He was close.

Sniffing and wiping away tears that had been sitting on his cheeks for a few minutes, Prompto held his head high and inhaled a steadying breath. Ardyn had said he wanted to talk to him before he left… Prompto wanted to be composed when he exited the bathroom. He wanted to appear strong, unafraid. He owed himself that.

Prompto was hopeful it wasn't some kind of a trap. The guy had bought him clothes… Gave them to him, gave him time to get dressed. Surely if he was going to attack him he'd have just done it. He'd have led him into the room, pushed him down onto the bed and done it. Right? Giving him the clothes and letting him get fully dressed first would have been a huge, unnecessary extra step.

Breathing in one more time, a deep, calming breath, Prompto closed his eyes for a moment, then blinked them open and reached for the door knob, pausing for only a few seconds before twisting it and making his way back into the room.

"Have a seat." Ardyn ordered, patting the mattress next to him. He was already seated.

Prompto reluctantly agreed, but kept his distance from the man. Unfortunately, he realized he probably wasn't going to be able to do anything to defend himself if Ardyn chose to hurt him anyway.

"Remember to stick to the story - you ran away." Ardyn explained.

Prompto bit his lower lip and quickly nodded.

"Don't tell anyone at all about me or Verstael. No word of the lab, where we went... Any of it. No one needs to trace that man at the shop's death back to me. You ran away. If you must explain injuries - make something up. You hitchhiked and the driver attacked you, someone on the street mugged you and tried to rape you - whatever you have to say that doesn't involve the truth. Understand?" Ardyn continued.

Prompto nodded again.

"If you say a word, I'll know. I don't want anyone sniffing around looking for me. Not that you'd warrant it… but since your friends with the prince…" He shrugged. "Just don't say anything. I'll know, and you'll regret it."

Prompto swallowed nervously. "Okay…" He whispered.

"I've rented this room for one night. I'm going to leave you with some money, on the dresser over there." He nodded across the room at a small pile of coins - some sort of currency Prompto hadn't ever seen before. "There's a Crow's Nest diner in town… Get something to eat, clean yourself up, get a good night's rest… Then from there, hitch a ride, pay someone to take you back… Whatever you see fit. I'm giving you double the money you'd need for food, one more night of lodging along the way if need be, and extra for potential payment of a driver if you need it." Ardyn explained. "Most people out here are friendly though - wouldn't be hard to catch a ride… Just be careful."

Prompto couldn't help a small, breathless laugh. "Be careful of what?" He stared. How the hell could anything out in this world be worse than what he'd already been through?

Ardyn smirked slightly. "Perverts, thieves, people who will take advantage of the fact that you're young, weak, vulnerable, naive... all alone… Most people are friendly, but clearly…" He paused. "You can't trust just anyone."

Prompto shook his head. He doubted anyone could be worse than Verstael and Ardyn.

"And please don't go out after dark." Ardyn frowned. "I respect your confidence, but you're a child... Unarmed, untrained... It's not safe out there at night. Wait until morning before you head out, and be sure to find lodging along the way if you're not back to Insomnia by nightfall. I didn't keep you alive during this ordeal just to let you get yourself killed on the way back."

Prompto swallowed and nodded. No fucking way was he going outside the town while it was still dark. He'd learned his lesson on that one.

"And one more tip before I go…" Ardyn started as he stood up.

Prompto stared up at him, waiting for whatever he was going to say.

"If someone tells you not to run from them, to do what they say or else they'll hurt you… It's probably a good indicator that you need to fucking run." Ardyn frowned.

Prompto felt his mouth drop open slightly. What the hell was he trying to say? He'd just spent actual days drilling it into Prompto's head that he wasn't allowed to do that.

"Don't look so surprised… I know I got pretty rough with you when I caught up with you - that maybe you think you'd have been better off going along with me the whole time, but look where it led… I was taking you somewhere horrible… You were right to try to escape at every chance." Ardyn spoke. "You should have tried things like that more often... waved down a car... My gods, child... You were actually very easy going, all things considered."

Frowning, Prompto crossed his arms over his chest. "Wish you felt like that back in Insomnia when I tried to get away and you fucking drugged me."

Ardyn smirked. "As I said… Anyone tries to tell you not to run from them on your way home… run."

Prompto inhaled a breath and shook his head. "Is that all?" He stared.

"Yes. Well… and keep the damn door locked. Good luck…" Ardyn shrugged. "Remember to keep your mouth shut about me… You never know when I might be watching."

Prompto felt his eyes widen as he inhaled a small gasp.

"See you around." Ardyn nodded, then backed toward the door, walking out and leaving Prompto alone.

Prompto stared at the closed door for a moment, suddenly feeling quite lost. He was so far from home, all alone now… and while it was a relief to not have anyone terrifying looming over him, watching his every movement, threatening his every breath, he honestly felt a little frightened at the thought of trying to make his way all the way back home all by himself. What if he got lost? What if no one would give him a ride, or he tried to pay someone to take him and they stole his money and ran?

Swallowing and blinking a long blink, Prompto decided to take a deep breath, focus on the present for now, and just make sure he was ready to make the hard choices in the morning. For now, he could go get some food, take a long shower, and sleep. If he just focused on making sure he did that, he figured he could handle this on his own… and maybe in the morning things would look less daunting.

So he walked over to the dresser, pocketed the money, and headed out, looking nervously around as he made his way toward the restaurant.

He didn't see Ardyn's car anywhere… but the man did say he might be watching him. He wondered if it was an empty threat - just to make Prompto scared to tell the truth to anyone who asked. Ardyn couldn't possibly know what Prompto said in private - like if he was alone with Noct later and told him, with no one else around… Ardyn couldn't know… Right? How could he?

Swallowing as he made brief eye contact with a man filling up at the fuel station, Prompto looked back down at his feet. He still had no shoes. Just socks again. Apparently shoes were hard to come by in the shops out here… Or maybe they were too expensive and Ardyn just didn't want to buy them.

Prompto looked back up. The guy filling up his car was still looking at him. Prompto quickened his pace, practically running until he got into the diner. What if Ardyn knew people around here, had them working for him, like spies? What if he knew people in Insomnia too? Maybe that's how he planned on listening in, knowing if Prompto talked.

"Welcome to The Crow's Nest." A man at the counter called out, glancing up briefly wiping down the counter with a cloth before looking back down and continuing his work. "Would you like a booth or are you sitting at the counter?"

Prompto stared back in silence for a moment. The interaction was so calm, so normal… After everything he'd been through, a server asking such a basic, harmless question was almost bizarre.

"Son? Booth or counter?" The man asked again, standing up straight, his smile falling.

"Um… Th-the counter's fine… Thanks…" Prompto finally managed to get himself to answer, forcing a small, nervous laugh as well as he climbed up onto one of the stools.

"You alright?" The stranger asked, frowning now.

"Y-yes…" Prompto breathed, looking behind himself, contemplating running away. How did everyone he made eye-contact with seem to know something was wrong? What if Ardyn was indeed still lurking around, watching, listening, ready to kill this guy like he did the man at the store.

"You sure? You… You look like somebody hit you…" The man at the counter frowned. "Do you need help? Did someone hit you?"

"I'm fine…" Prompto promised again, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. "I'm… I was climbing on the rocks out in the desert a while ago, and I fell… Kinda hit my cheek on the way. And my head..." He reached up toward his head, where he'd hit it when the daemon attacked him. "A monster was trying to get me... I was out after dark... I'm okay…" He promised.

"Alright… If you say so… Could I get you a drink to start?" The man asked.

Prompto nodded. "Um… soda? Like a cola?" He requested, feeling his breaths calming down slightly. Hopefully the guy bought his excuse. Hopefully there'd be no more questions. What he said was true... Just not the whole truth.

"Right away. Have a look at the menu, and I'll be right back." The man smiled, turning and walking away.

Prompto exhaled a somewhat shaky breath as he stared down at the menu. He didn't need to be so nervous. All the horrible stuff was over. He was on his own now, and that was nerve-wracking, but he doubted Ardyn had spies all over. That was ridiculous. No one was watching him. Ardyn just said that to scare him. And as long as he didn't say anything about Ardyn or Verstael, it wouldn't matter anyway. He could make up lies. He was good at that.

"Here you are, Sir. Ready to order?" The man smiled as he placed a drink down in front of Prompto.

"Could I have the salmon, and fries… Please?" Prompto answered.

"Yes, Sir. About ten minutes. It'll be fresh… and that's the special today, so twenty percent off." He nodded.

"Oh… Cool…" Prompto laughed, starting to feel a lot more at ease. Everything was going to be okay… and as long as he only worried about one day at a time, there was definitely no need to worry. He only had to eat, shower, and go to sleep for today. That was so easy.

Then tomorrow…

He frowned, staring down at his fingertips as he fidgeted with them on top of the counter. Tomorrow was going to be big. He had to make his way all the back home - or at least over half. Ardyn left him enough money to stay the night somewhere else too, but he didn't know where places to sleep even were out in the world.

"Um… Excuse me…" Prompto called out to the server, the friendliest potential source of help and advice he'd encountered thus far.

"Hm?" The server looked up from the grill.

"How would someone get pretty far out here without a car?" He asked.

The man frowned. "You out here by yourself?" He wondered.

Prompto swallowed and shrugged. "Kind of… I need to get back to the city, but my ride… um… kinda ditched me…"

"Why'd they do that?" The man frowned.

"We… were arguing… I just gotta get back to the city, and I don't have a car… so what should I do?" Prompto tried his best to dodge the question he really didn't have a very good answer to. He couldn't tell the truth.

"You're going all the way back to the city? To Lestallum?" The man frowned. "That's awfully far."

"No… To... Insomnia?" Prompto grimaced.

"Oh… You're from there? We don't get many of you folks so far out… I guess you could hitch a ride… but people don't often go that way… Not that far that way. Maybe to Hammerhead." He explained.

"Is that close? Like… to Insomnia… or to here?" Prompto frowned. He didn't know the layout of the continent. He was in way over his head.

"How did you get all the way out here?" The server frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah… I'm fine…" Prompto breathed, feeling his eyes widen. "I've got a motel room and everything… I just… I don't know what to do in the morning… Is there like a taxi service?"

The server shook his head. "Not all the way back to Insomnia. I'd try to hitch a ride to Hammerhead, then see where you can get from there. That's the best I can suggest… I'd give you a ride, but it's just too far. I'm working the morning shift tomorrow... I just don't have time. Sorry."

"That's okay. I didn't expect you to give me a ride... Just wondering if you had an ideas of how I'd get back…" Prompto frowned as the server plated his food and walked back over to the counter. "Thanks." He smiled. "Smells good. I'm starving."

Prompto immediately started eating, not bothering to wait for a fork for the fish, and not realizing how fast he was going until he felt eyes on him as the server placed a fork down next to the plate. He paused, swallowing and leaning back slightly when he realized the man was staring at him. He looked pretty concerned.

Letting out a small, nervous laugh, Prompto ran his fingers over his lips. "Sorry… I skipped lunch…" He breathed, not bothering to mention the fact that he'd skipped breakfast as well, and had only two servings of Cup Noodles for the entire previous day.

"You sure you're alright?" The man frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "How old are you?"

"I'm…" Prompto inhaled a small breath. He couldn't tell the truth. This guy was already suspicious. "I'm twen-" He paused. That wasn't believable. He was fifteen, and he looked fifteen. "Eighteen. I'm eighteen…" He lied, immediately biting his lower lip and furrowing his brow. "I'm okay… It's just been a long day... That monster really got me good..." He laughed. "I just need to get back…"

"I'll ask around, okay? If no one can drive you all the way, maybe I can find someone who can take you most of the way at least." The man offered.

"Okay. Thanks." Prompto breathed, swallowing nervously as he glanced around the diner, toward a table with a single man sitting at it, slowly sipping coffee and reading a newspaper. That could easily be a front. He could be keeping an eye on Prompto - pretending to read…

"Uh… You don't have to pay for this if you don't have the gil." The man added.

"No…" Prompto shook his head. "I have the money."

"Okay… Have you got enough to last until you're home?" The server asked.

"Yes." Prompto nodded, eating another french fry. "I think so. I'll be fine. I swear. I've got money and everything. I'm not in any trouble. I only need transportation."

"Alright." The man nodded, still looking somewhat suspicious. "I assume you're staying next door? At the motel?"

Prompto nodded, as his mouth was presently too full for him to give a verbal answer.

"If I find anyone who can give you a ride, I'll have the receptionist let you know. Alright?" He offered.

Prompto nodded again, swallowing and smiling. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

The man flashed another quick smile before walking further down the counter, greeting another customer.

Prompto finished eating, left some money on the counter, and stepped outside into the cool night air. He shivered slightly just as soon as he was outside. It was pretty cold, as it always seemed to be at night out here.

Looking up at the stars, Prompto inhaled a small breath. He'd seen them so many times before, but they seemed so much brighter than they did in the city. There were so few lights, even in this tiny town. He'd never seen the stars looking so vibrant before, the sky looking so dark in contrast.

As he stared up at the night sky, Prompto wondered if Noctis was doing the same. Maybe he was staring up at the same stars. Maybe he was wondering about Prompto too, missing him, hoping he was okay. They'd see each other again soon… Hopefully. As long as Prompto didn't screw up getting himself home. He hoped Noctis wasn't mad at him when he got there. He hoped he would be welcomed back. He hoped Noct wouldn't think he was too damaged, too different than he was before. He just wanted to go back to how things were before...

He closed his eyes and exhaled, taking a moment to breathe before blinking his eyes back open and starting back toward the motel. He felt both hopeful and extremely nervous at this point. People out in the world were friendly, as Ardyn had said they'd be. Most people were good… Hopefully the man at the diner would find someone to help him… If not, he could ask around in the morning.

He was going to be okay. Even if he didn't find a ride right away, he'd be okay. People were friendly. He'd gotten away from the worst people and was safe now. Whatever happened from here, he'd figure it out. He'd get home, give Noctis a huge hug, and get on with his life.

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	17. Chapter 17

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Chapter 17

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Exhaling as he tilted his face up toward the shower head with his eyes closed, Prompto ran his fingers through his hair. The warm water felt so good, washing away all of his fears and tension. Warming him up after he spent a majority of the past few days feeling freezing cold. Even with the weather kind of nice during the day, he felt cold today, maybe because the fever Ardyn mentioned before - perhaps a side effect of the drug Verstael had given him.

Maybe the horrible distant memories of being in that vat of cold liquid was chilling him to the bone - even if it was only in his head. He didn't really remember that, right? Ardyn said he might not have even been three years old yet. He couldn't have remembered it... Perhaps Verstael mentioning the lab just made him think he remembered... Maybe his mind made it up - a false memory.

He supposed it didn't matter... His past seemed to have been a horrendous nightmare no matter if his memories were true or not... He had to just focus on the present now - and the future. The past was done. He could move on from here. Get back to Insomnia, give Noct a huge hug. He was going to be fine. There wasn't going to be any more freezing vats, tubes... No more Verstael. No one was going to hurt him.

Prompto inhaled and exhaled another calming breath, running his hand through his wet hair and hugging his other arm around his ribs. He was so happy to be in a hotel room tonight - with a shower, a bed... All the time he'd spent cold and uncomfortable these past few days - it was done now. He could be warm again. He could feel safe. All he had left to do tonight was finish the shower and sleep. That was easy. He could manage that.

Prompto had been in the shower for quite a while already, maybe nearing an hour at this point. He could honestly stay in here all night if he let himself. After the hell he'd been through these past few days, he'd earned it. It wasn't like he had anything else to do afterward. Nothing but sleep, which he was a little scared to do thanks to the potential nightmares that would plague his mind.

But he did need to think about getting out before he made himself sick by standing under the hot water too long, and he was pretty exhausted still. He was more than ready for bed, and he'd done everything he needed to do in here. He just had to hope he'd dream happy things instead of horrible things. Maybe if he thought about Noct and chocobos as he fell asleep instead of dwelling on his fears, he could have good dreams.

He'd already used the entire mini bottle of shampoo, the whole little bar of soap that came complementary with the room, to clean away the memories of Verstael's touch, the feeling of Ardyn's hands pinning down his arms… everything that had happened. The soap didn't get rid of it though. He could still feel the hands on him every time he looked down and saw the bruises. Every time he closed his eyes and remembered how it felt to be lying down on that table, unable to move while Verstael touched him.

Opening his eyes and staring at the tiled wall, Prompto felt his lip trembling. He didn't want to think about any of that. Ever, ever again. It wasn't a big deal. He hadn't been hurt that much, and both Verstael and Ardyn were gone now. He was going to get to go home. He could forget everything that happened. He wasn't allowed to talk about it, so maybe if he didn't think about it either, he honestly could just forget it ever happened.

With a deep inhale and exhale, Prompto turned off the water, standing in the shower staring at the tiles for a moment longer, watching a water droplet make its way down toward the bottom.

He wondered if his parents noticed he was gone. He'd been taken on a friday night, so his school wouldn't have called yet. They worked so often, and Prompto went out with Noctis to the arcade, to the movies, to get hamburgers and fries… all the time. They weren't the type of parents to call and check in, to open his door at night to make sure he was safe in his bed. Sometimes Prompto honestly went a full week or more without even speaking to either of them. They honestly might not have known he was gone.

Prompto frowned as he stared at another water droplet, following it with his eyes as it slowly made its way down the wall like the other one had. A tiny part of him had honestly been hopeful when Ardyn spoke of Verstael, before he met the man… that maybe he'd be the loving parental figure Prompto never had but always wanted… That Verstael was his real dad, that they'd been separated by mistake and that the man would want him back, would invite him to stay… teach him to do cool science experiments, teach him to cook, to fix cars, to drive…

The reality couldn't have been further from that. Verstael was a monster… A cruel, cold, vicious monster. He didn't want Prompto as his son. He wanted him as his property, as something to use and abuse, to toy with, to hurt.

Prompto inhaled another breath and looked back up, choosing to hold his head high and push Verstael out of his mind. The man didn't deserve to be to heavy in his thoughts. Prompto never needed to think of him again. He wasn't his dad. He wasn't his family - whether they were biologically related or not.

His family was Noctis - the only person he ever felt genuinely close to in his life. He had only known the other boy for part of a year… but he felt like Noctis actually cared about him, actually wanted him in his life. No one else did.

Prompto felt a smile on his lips as he thought about his friend. Noctis probably noticed he was gone. If no one else did, Noct would. He was probably worried, which wasn't cause to be happy… but the thought of it did make Prompto feel important, useful for something… Noctis liked being around him. Prompto existing wasn't all for nothing. Noctis at least would miss him if he were gone, would notice that he was gone now…

Still smiling, Prompto stepped out of the shower, grabbing a fluffy white towel off the towel rack and patting his face dry, then ruffling it through his hair a bit, then finally wrapping it around his waist.

He leaned over the sink, running his hand across the foggy mirror. He laughed softly when he noticed he was still smiling. He'd been through a lot these past couple days… a lot of really scary, really confusing stuff… but he was okay… He was going to get to go home, to get back to normal. Noctis would be there. He'd probably give Prompto a huge hug - a genuine gesture of care.

Prompto looked away, not wanting to see his own face anymore for the moment. The bruise on his cheek was too big of a reminder of things he didn't want to think about. So he headed toward the door, opening it and heading back into the room, looking around on the floor as he walked. He'd thrown the clothes Ardyn gave him somewhere around here.

"All alone now, are we?" A low, growling voice asked out of nowhere.

Prompto breathed in a sharp gasp, putting his hand over his heart and stepping back as he noticed a man standing in the corner, by the door leading outside. It was a familiar man… a sickeningly familiar man… Verstael.

Prompto gritted his teeth and stepped back, shaking his head as he felt his breaths start to pick up. "Ardyn's here too…" Prompto lied. "He'll be really mad if he sees you… I'm not alone... S-so you need to leave…"

Verstael laughed softly. "You little liar… I wouldn't honestly be surprised if the two of you were sharing the room, sharing the bed." He glared. "He was so jealous when he walked in on us… But I see he's gone. I watched him go… And I waited. I waited while you headed over to the diner, chatted up the man at the counter. I watched you walk up the street after, looking up at the sky like you'd never seen stars before... Waited for you to head back into the room, followed in shortly after. You should have locked your door, my child… So foolish…"

Prompto felt his lower lip tremble. "Please leave…" He whispered. "Th-there's people around this time… A whole diner and fuel station… There's people just hanging out outside, other people in the motel... I'll scream. Someone will hear."

Verstael laughed again, shaking his head and stepping forward. "He really left you all by yourself, hm…" He noted. "Did he molest you first? Was I right? Is that why he took you back? Was he rough?"

Prompto felt his breaths increasing as tears stung at his eyes. He wondered if someone would hear if he screamed. If they'd know which room to check… if Verstael might really, really hurt him, even kill him before anyone could help…

"Did it hurt you horribly?" Verstael stuck his lip out in a mock-pout. "He's a fairly big man - very tall… And you're still so small, so young… I know from my own experience that you're not exactly loose. It had to have hurt to have him force himself on you. And with you struggling and thrashing around… Oh… It must have hurt horribly… But did you grow to like it? Even if you didn't want to? Your body will do that, you know… Respond to certain touches, whether you want it to or not. I think your body will enjoy what I've got for you, even if you don't want it to."

"Please just go… I'm not gonna tell anyone about anything that happened… You can just leave, and I won't say anything, ever. No one ever has to know we ever met." Prompto promised. "You won't get in trouble…"

Verstael laughed. "Tell people whatever you want, my lovely boy… It matters not to me… I think I'll take you back though. I wasn't finished with you. I was only just getting started. I had a lot more to learn from you, to enjoy from you."

Prompto shook his head. "I'm not going with you."

"Yes you are." Verstael stared. "But we can get started here first. Tell me though, what all have you already done? What did Ardyn force on you? I followed you two, you know... but from a distance. I couldn't see it all… But I saw you try to run. I saw him chase you and pin you down out in the open. You screamed and cried, but I was too far away to make it all out. Did he do it then?" Verstael narrowed his eyes. "I know he wanted to… Heavens, it sounded like he did it just judging by your horrible screaming. Did it really hurt that bad?"

Prompto shook his head. "He didn't… I was just scared…" He breathed.

"Of course…" Verstael nodded. "You are quite the whiny one… Hmmm… Some people enjoy hearing that during sexual intercourse… I don't mind it one bit, really."

Prompto swallowed, feeling his breaths speeding up again as he looked past the man's shoulder, toward the door. He was blocking the only way out. He exhaled a shaky breath and looked down, putting his hands nervously on the top of the towel wrapped around his waist. That was all that he was wearing.

"Then I saw you two come here after." Verstael noted. "He drove quite a while to get you here, with you tucked away safely in his passenger seat, wrapped up in his coat like you were his little boy. Is that what you are to him now? His precious little boy? He was in here with you for a long time… That's when he finally took what he wanted, isn't it? If you've got experience now, what I'm wanting shouldn't be so scary… Though I can't say I'm not disappointed that you're no longer a virgin. I wanted to be the one to do it."

Prompto shook his head, feeling his breaths growing quick and frantic all over again. "He didn't… That's not what he wanted…" He whispered. "You're wrong…"

"Well, no matter. I'm finishing what I started. He had no right to stop me." Verstael growled, suddenly lunging forward, grabbing toward Prompto's arms and throwing him roughly toward the bed.

"Ow!" Prompto whimpered, trying to stand back up before Verstael climbed on top of him. "Stop! Help m-" He was immediately cut off by a hard hand pressing over his mouth, pushing his head back against the mattress, stifling his voice into a frantic, muffled whimper.

"I'm not playing around with you this time." Verstael hissed. "I shouldn't have been so gentle before. I stalled too long and got entirely cheated."

Prompto shook his head, thrashing under his attacker and sobbing a shaking, muffled noise when he saw the man had a syringe in his free hand. Probably the same drug he'd used before - the one that would immobilize Prompto completely, leaving him entirely at the man's mercy.

There was nothing Prompto could do to keep the man from injecting him with the substance. All he could do was cry pathetically as he felt the needle pierce his skin, followed by a moment of Verstael keeping his hand pressed firmly over his mouth, waiting for the dose to kick in a bit before letting up.

"Try to relax this time, you whiny brat." Verstael breathed, grabbing at the towel around Prompto's waist and pulling it away.

Prompto whimpered weakly, moving his heavy-feeling arms down so that his hands covered himself. He could feel himself losing the ability to fight back. He wasn't going to have the luxury of moving his limbs for much longer.

"Please! Stop!" Prompto sobbed, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt Verstael grab his arms and pin them both down, climbing on top of him, then grabbing toward his neck, kissing up the side of it, then toward the corner of Prompto's mouth, running his other hand down over the boy's chest, down between his legs, rubbing, squeezing, groping. "Don't, please!" He cried, trying to squirm, to kick, to push the man away. Every movement he made was so difficult. His limbs felt so heavy. "Please stop!" He sobbed.

"Is that all you can say?" Verstael mocked, pressing and squeezing hard down between Prompto's legs, both hurting and embarrassing him. "Don't? Please? Stop?" He mocked.

Prompto sobbed softly, feeling his body growing more and more limp by the second as his heart pounded wildly in his chest.

"You smell so nice." Verstael breathed, leaning heavily against the boy's chest as he pushed one of Prompto's thighs to the side with one hand and grabbed toward his jaw with the other. "You were in the shower for a long time… What were you doing in there?"

Choking a breathless, terrified sob, Prompto squeezed his eyes shut, trying uselessly to shove out at the man's chest. His arms felt so weak. His struggles were all but useless.

"Were you touching yourself, thinking about me?" Verstael laughed, pushing Prompto's thigh further, spreading his legs wider, and running his hand down between them, between his cheeks, rubbing threateningly.

"Don't-" Prompto whimpered, inhaling a sharp breath and groaning as the man began forcing his finger in as he did before, but with more difficulty this time without any lubrication. Prompto squeezed his eyes shut, trying to kick out as he gritted his teeth together. "Please stop…" He choked. "You're hurting me… Please…"

"Oh… but you like pain, don't you?" Verstael breathed, gripping his hand around Prompto's jaw and staring down at him. "You claimed it hurt last time too, but that didn't seem to stop you from slowly but surely stiffening up in my hand. Don't think I didn't feel that. You were getting hard down there. Maybe you didn't want me to touch you, to finger fuck you... but your body did. You didn't want to love it, but you did."

Prompto choked out a breathless sob, trying to flinch away from the man's hands, whimpering in pain when the hand around his jaw only grabbed harder.

"I'll bet you had to finish yourself off after that." Verstael chuckled, forcing his finger roughly in and out down below. "You poor thing. I got you just about halfway there, didn't I? If Ardyn hadn't interrupted us, you wouldn't have been begging me to stop, but to keep going… You'd have been crying that I needed to go faster, harder. Did Ardyn help you after he took you out to his car? Did you beg him?" He breathed, forcing his finger in deep, squeezing his other hand painfully around Prompto's jaw.

"No." Prompto shook his head what little he could. "Please stop. Please!" He sobbed. "Get off of me!" He screamed, his voice breathless, trembling. "Heelllp! Somebody help me!" He called out. If Verstael wouldn't listen to him, maybe someone else would. He only needed one person to hear him, to come save him.

"Shut up." Verstael growled, squeezing his hand around Prompto's neck and shoving his finger deeper, smirking when Prompto let out another pained moan. "You just wait, you spoiled little runt. You think this hurts? You just wait…"

"Stop… I ca-can't-" Prompto gasped, unable to finish his sentence when the hand around his throat only tightened. He squeezed his eyes shut, clawing weakly with uncoordinated fingers toward the man's hand around his neck as his other hand continued its assault down below.

"I'll take you back with me. Right after this, we'll head back… If you like touching yourself in the shower, I'll be glad to join you, to watch you…" Verstael panted, leaning down close to Prompto's ear, then turning his face to start kissing up the side of the boy's neck again, this time practically sucking.

Prompto gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut tighter, whimpering a pained, frustrated groan as he tried to move his body. He felt so weak, so useless to himself. He couldn't help a sharp, shocked gasp and a slight flinch as Verstael's finger jerked awkwardly inside him. He squeezed his eyes closed tighter, moaning as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"You like this?" Verstael breathed. "You do like pain, don't you? Because you certainly seem to attract it. You worthless little brat." He shoved his finger rather roughly in and out down below as Prompto flinched, trying to move his leg as he struggled to even breathe.

Prompto tried to speak again as the hand around his throat refused to let up. He kicked weakly again, trying to ignore the feeling of his attacker's hand down between his legs, finally sucking in a strained, panicked breath when his grip up above at last loosened.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as Prompto gasped for air, whimpering in pain and fear as Verstael's hand rubbed over his hair and the man began kissing him again, up over his throat, on his lips. He didn't use his tongue this time, likely remembering that Prompto bit him last time… but it was still a dreadful gesture, and his other hand was still prodding embarrassingly down below, moving around toward the boy's penis and beginning to rub slowly.

"Please stop…" Prompto gasped. "Please just let me go…" He squeezed his eyes shut again. He couldn't understand why this man wanted to hurt him so much. If he truly was his father - in whatever way he and Ardyn cryptically and confusingly claimed he was - even if the clone story were true - maybe especially if it were true - why would he do this? Why would he want so badly to hurt his own son? What was it about Prompto that made him so adamant that he needed to make him suffer? He put so much effort into specifically finding Prompto to do this to. He could have chosen any other random person out in the world. Why him?

"Don't cry." Verstael breathed, still rubbing his hand lightly between Prompto's legs as he leaned heavily over him. "Don't bite me. If you bite me, I'll hurt you so badly… I won't even try to be gentle. I'll fuck you so hard... You won't be able to walk after." He threatened

Prompto stared up through his tears, shaking his head no very subtly as Verstael leaned down closer, forcing his mouth against Prompto's.

Prompto squeezed his eyes shut and let out a shaky, muffled whimper as Verstael's tongue forced itself into his mouth. He didn't bite down this time, even though he desperately wanted to. He was too scared. Prompto was drugged, hardly able to move. Biting the man's tongue wouldn't do him any favors. He knew he'd rather have a kiss forced on him than whatever the man had in mind when he said he'd make it to where Prompto couldn't even manage to walk after it.

He could feel the man's hands groping around his body as he kissed him, one running up over his ribs, then grabbing threateningly around his neck and the other gripping around his thigh, pulling his pelvis upward. He felt one of Verstael's knees between his legs, pushing up painfully as the deep, unwelcome kiss continued.

With his eyes still closed, Prompto sobbed softly, keeping his mouth open enough for Verstael to continue his kiss uninterrupted. With each passing second, Prompto felt more and more like he couldn't breathe, like his chest was being crushed, his lungs frozen. He wondered if he was going to pass out soon... He hoped he would. He didn't want to mentally be here for this. Not one bit.

When Verstael finally stopped kissing him and leaned back, Prompto couldn't help but to choke in and out shaky, frantic breaths accompanied by breathless sobs. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he stared up at his attacker. "Please let me go..." He whimpered, his voice shaking so badly be could barely even understand his own words. "I d-don't want this... Please... I wanna go home..."

"You don't need to be so fearful. This is all simple biology." Verstael frowned down at him. "Let yourself enjoy it. Stop panicking, and I guarantee you'll be begging for more."

"No…" Prompto whimpered. "I don't wanna do this… I'm only fifteen... I'm not ready to do this kinda thing... Please. I don't want to. Please let me go. Please don't do this to me… Please…" Prompto shook his head, his chest growing tight again. Was this really going to happen this time? No one was around to save him… It didn't look like he was going to be as lucky as he was before. "W-why are you doing this? I-if I'm your son... Wh-why would you want to hurt me?" He whimpered.

Verstael smiled down at him, running a hand lightly over Prompto's stomach. "It's not to hurt you, my lovely boy. Do you think I'm a sadist? I'm not doing this to cause you pain. If I were, you'd be bleeding, with broken bones... I wouldn't have bothered stretching you with my fingers... I'd have grabbed you right away, slammed you face-first up against the wall and fucked you fast and hard right there... I'd have choked you to unconsciousness while I did it, and I wouldn't have stopped after you passed out. Not until I was done. You'd certainly be bleeding. Probably passed out by now, while I kept going."

Prompto inhaled a shaky breath. The mental imagine the man was creating was absolutely horrifying... Though what was going on for real wasn't that much better. Either way, Prompto didn't want this. It wasn't really much comfort knowing Verstael was being more gentle than he could have been. Gentle or not, this was a nightmare.

"No. I don't want to hurt you." Verstael shook his head. "That's not what this is at all. It's to give myself pleasure... and you too... We can experiment once we're back home... Find what you like. I'm not opposed to keeping your pleasure in mind as well. It doesn't always have to be all about me. I'm more than willing to let your preferences take priority here and there."

Prompto's lip trembled as he stared up at his attacker. Was Verstael serious? He wanted to keep doing this forever? He wanted Prompto to go back with him and do this again? It wasn't enough for him to hurt Prompto just this one time?

Verstael cocked his head to the side. "There are so many things we can try. We'll find something you enjoy. You'll end up being the one asking me to do it... I'll bet within a few weeks you won't be begging me to stop ever again, but quite the reverse."

Prompto couldn't help the defeated sob that choked its way out of his throat as he squeezed his eyes closed. Verstael wasn't ever planning to let him go. He wanted this to be a long-term thing. He was going to take Prompto back with him and hurt him over and over. He was already planning a variety of ways to do it.

"Please. I don't wanna do this. I don't like it. I don't want any of it. Please..." Prompto sobbed. "Isn't there something I can do? T-to make you not do this? I can pay you... I can do anything else! I can work for you. I'll be your lab assistant... I'll clean..."

Verstael shook his head. "You don't have money to pay me. We both know that. I'm afraid I'll have to insist that it goes my way this time, but we can try other things later." Verstael continued, pretty much ignoring everything else Prompto said.

"I don't want to do other things." Prompto whimpered. "I wanna go home."

"Relax, my beautiful little angel." Verstael smiled down at him, taking some kind of little bottle out of his pocket and squirting it onto his fingertips. "I thought about going in dry - hurting you on purpose... but there's no need. See? I can be reasonable. I can be forgiving, patient... I can be gentle..."

"No..." Prompto shook his head, choking out shaking sobs as he felt the man's fingers down below again, rubbing a generous portion of the slimy substance onto him, between his cheeks, on the outside of his anus, then pushing his finger past muscles that weren't resisting so much at this point, sliding in and out a few times. Prompto tried to flinch, gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes closed in frustration, but there was nothing he could do. He could hardly move, definitely not far enough to make an ounce of difference.

"You're warming up to me. I knew you would." Verstael smiled, forcing a second finger next to the first and slipping them both in and out a few times. "You're going to enjoy this. You think you won't, but you will. The first time I'm completely inside you, as deep as I can go... You'll be surprised by how good it feels. You should relax and just let yourself really experience it. It'll be like fireworks, pure bliss..."

Silently, Prompto shook his head again, squeezing his eyes shut and trying not to focus on the fingers forcibly penetrating down below, moving faster each time his attacker pushed them back in. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't do much of anything. His movements were slow, heavy, barely worth the effort. He was practically passed out without the luxury of his mind being able to bow out.

"I think the drug I've injected you with will help you relax even if you so desperately want to fight me on this… It's the same as before, so you know how it works. Don't be too tense or this is really going to hurt." Verstael warned, still ignoring Prompto's begging, as he pushed his fingers in as deep as he could, moved them around inside what little he was able, then slid them back out.

Prompto exhaled a shaky moan, trying to pull his legs closed as he turned his face to the side. He couldn't bear to be mentally present for this. He just wanted to be back home, playing video games, reading comics, making dumb jokes with Noct. He didn't want to be here. He couldn't stand to be here.

"You're doing great." Verstael breathed, his words low, sinister, perhaps even excited. He grabbed toward the boy's thigh and pushed it up, bending his leg at the knee so that his legs were spread fairly wide, then reached with his other hand down toward the front of his own pants, unzipping them and grabbing toward his penis.

"Please don't do this." Prompto choked, grimacing as he watched Verstael squirt more of the lubricant onto his fingers and begin rubbing it onto himself. The boy let out a shaky, panicked whimper as he tried to flinch back. This couldn't be happening. What already was done was bad enough. It couldn't be taken back. It would stay in his mind forever... but he couldn't make it through more - he couldn't survive even worse.

Prompto squeezed his eyes closed again and shrunk down, wishing he could at the very least put his hands over his face to make himself feel more hidden. He couldn't even do that. He couldn't lift his arms. He could do nothing to protect himself, not even cover his eyes. "Please..." He whimpered again, his voice shaking with tears as his breaths caught in his throat.

"Shhh... Let yourself enjoy it." Verstael suggested again, seemingly still rubbing himself, because Prompto didn't feel the man touching any part of him but his inner-thigh. "I guarantee you'll love every second of it just as soon as you get out of your own head, release your fears, and let yourself have some fun."

"No…" Prompto shook his head, trying again to shrink away as he blinked his eyes back open. Maybe he needed to make eye contact, so Verstael would see him as a person rather than something to be used. He was a person. He had feelings, fears... He was scared, devastated, completely humiliated and uncomfortable. "Don't hurt me, please… Please don't do this…" He begged. "I don't want this... Please! I'm scared!"

Prompto's begging turned into shaking sobs again when Verstael made no move to show him any ounce of empathy. Verstael didn't even bother saying anything back. Prompto grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut when he felt Verstael's hand grip around his neck again, as he used his other hand to position himself down between Prompto's spread legs. The boy's heart pounded wildly in his chest as he held his breath. This was going to hurt so bad...

"Relax." Verstael breathed, pressing his penis threateningly against Prompto's resisting muscles, not penetrating him just yet, but lingering right there, ready to thrust in whenever he chose to. "Just relax… Keep breathing and relax." He advised.

"No-" Prompto whispered, fumbling with weak, uncoordinated hands, trying uselessly to grab at the man's arms, to pull his exhausted legs back closed. "Please stop!" He choked, his breaths so frantic he was sure he'd get himself worked up enough to pass at out any moment. "Please! Please don't do this! Stop! Please!" He sobbed. Even with his attacker not actually pushing into him just yet, Prompto was still terrified. He knew what was coming, and he knew it would hurt so horribly, that any damage done would require further pain and humiliation to fix. This was literally the last thing in the world he would have ever wanted.

"Shhh..." Verstael cooed, running his thumb up and down over Prompto's throat as he worked very slowly, carefully toward inserting his penis into his victim. "Relax. Take a little breath before I won't let you." He warned.

"No… No, no no…." Prompto sobbed, groaning a pained gasp as he felt the intrusive appendage slowly forcing its way in while the hand around his throat tightened again. He felt himself stretching uncomfortably down below as breathing became more painful thanks to his attacker's grip increasing around his neck. "Stop! Please stop! You're hurting me! Stop!" He cried, his breaths growing so quick and frantic he was sure he'd pass out from hyperventilating if the upcoming pain didn't do it. His begging quickly turned into breathless, choking cries as Verstael tightened his grip around Prompto's throat.

Verstael breathed out a heavy breath, pushing his penis very slowly further into his captive's protesting body as he squeezed his hand tight around Prompto's throat again.

Prompto squeezed his eyes closed tighter, whimpering as he tried desperately to force any amount of air into his lungs. He couldn't breathe, and the pain down below was slowly getting worse. Verstael was clearly still trying not to damage him as much as he could have if he just went for it. The whole process was indeed slow - almost excruciatingly so, making Prompto almost wish he'd just do it quickly, make Prompto pass out, and be done with it. If he was determined to hurt him, he could at least do it quicker.

As he struggled to breath and gripped very weakly at the sheet under him, Prompto felt his mind growing foggy, like television static. Maybe he was going to pass out. He kind of hoped he would. If he did, perhaps he wouldn't feel this as much. Maybe he wouldn't have to know how long it lasted, how humiliating and painful it would be... Just when he felt like he might be passing out though, a noise brought him back to the present. It was laughter. Verstael was laughing...

His attacker continued chuckling, releasing his grip around the boy's neck enough for Prompto to inhale a deep, trembling breath as tears streamed down his cheeks. The man was still talking, but Prompto couldn't focus on it anymore. He had no idea what sick, twisted things Verstael was saying. He really didn't need to know. It was likely only mocking, nasty things that would make him feel more scared, more humiliated.

Prompto squeezed his eyes closed again, feeling his body tense as Verstael squeezed his neck again, all the while forcing his penis slowly deeper inside his victim - so slowly that it probably wasn't even in a full inch yet - even if it felt like it was in further. So far it was mostly just uncomfortable, a dull, mild, yet slowly increasing pain. It didn't hurt as much as he knew it would when the man finally pushed himself in all the way, when he'd likely inevitably start thrusting, going faster, harder... Prompto knew his attacker wasn't going to be content to go slowly and carefully the whole time. Verstael wasn't going to remain patient, with Prompto's pain a factor he was hoping to avoid. He wouldn't keep caring about that for long.

Prompto also knew he'd never done this before. His body wasn't used to this, so naturally, having the man's entire penis forced into him was going to hurt, no matter how slowly the man moved. It was going to hurt once it was all the way in. How could it not? It already hurt when it was only his fingers. It already hurt when the man had only just gotten started. Going all the way was going to be excruciating.

Prompto moaned and tried to flinch away as his attacker slowly eased himself in further. He felt like he was stretched as far as he possibly could be, like Verstael forcing this any further was going to break him. Even so, the man persisted, very slowly pressing himself in, ignoring the fact that Prompto's body was clearly protesting, unable to take much more.

Gritting his teeth, as he tried to will his body to stop being so tense, so this would at least not hurt him, Prompto squeezed his eyes closed. Everything inside him was begging him not to give in, to resist this, to fight in any little way he could to keep this from happening... but it didn't seem that was going to help him here. Verstael was going to force it anyway, and he'd just end up hurt if he didn't stop tensing. Even knowing that, however, Prompto couldn't get his body to relax.

"Stop..." He whimpered, grimacing as tears spilled down his cheeks. "I can't-" He cut himself off with a shaky breath. His body just wasn't going to allow this. It was impossible. Not without him ending up horribly hurt afterward.

"Shhh... Relax." Verstael cooed, still pushing himself in, but moving very slowly, hardly making any progress whatsoever. At least he was being careful - for now. He could have just forced it in, but so far he was trying not to seriously injure his victim. "Let me in, sweetheart... Try to relax. It won't hurt if you just relax. It'll feel good... I promise."

"No..." Prompto whimpered, choked sobs still spilling out of his mouth between trembling breaths. He couldn't get himself to relax. He was too scared. And his body wasn't used to this. Regardless of the fact that Verstael attempted to prepare him first with his fingers, he simply wasn't ready for it. Verstael wasn't much taller than him. In terms of size, he was average, but Prompto wasn't used to this kind of thing. His body barely allowed the fingers without sustaining injury from it. He just couldn't take this.

"Take a good, deep breath, then let it out." Verstael advised, pausing for a moment. "Close your eyes... Relax... Just open yourself up, sweetheart. Stop telling yourself this is something bad. Stop resisting."

Prompto choked out another shaky whimper. He could still feel Verstael inside him, very minimally, but enough that it hurt. It wasn't the worst pain ever, but a constant, dull pressure that was a little more than mere discomfort. It hurt. There was no way the man was going to go through with this without Prompto being injured after. He'd probably need medical attention when his attacker was through.

"Relax." Verstael suggested again.

Prompto shook his head, his breaths shaky and tearful. "Please... It hurts... It's not gonna fit..." He moaned again, feeling himself stretch painfully around Verstael's penis. "You're hurting me. Please!" He sobbed. "I can't make myself relax... I can't..." He whimpered. "It hurts."

"It's not in you but an inch, sweetheart." Verstael laughed. "If that... My gods, child... It's just the tip. Take a breath... Stop being so tense. It won't hurt if you just relax. Let yourself take it gently before I get impatient..."

"No..." Prompto choked, his whole body shaking in fear. "Get it out... Please! It hurts!" Part of him hoped that Verstael would just kill him. If the man never planned to let him go, if he wanted to do this forever... Prompto didn't want to be here. He didn't want to live a life if this was going to be all there was to it. If Verstael did this, if he smuggled him out of the hotel room and took him back to that dreadful lab... If he never got to see Noct again, if he never got to feel safe again... If this was going to be his life... He'd rather die.

Prompto let out a shaky, heartbroken sob as he realized this, that he was hoping for death. The boy had spent so much of his life feeling lonely, worthless, unwanted. He struggled for so long trying to find a purpose in life, to find validation and love. There were so many nights when he cried himself to sleep and wondered if something was wrong with him, if he'd done something wrong in his life to make himself so unlovable... But never in all of that had he actually wanted to die. He kind of wanted to die now.

He wished the daemon out in the desert the previous night would have just killed him quickly. Nothing good had happened since then. There was no point in him surviving the ordeal if the only thing he was surviving for was this... He just wanted to go home, to live his boring, simple life... to be in his own house, all alone, feeling unloved and unwanted... but at least not being in pain, not feeling humiliated and degraded.

At this point, he'd have given anything in the world to just be at his own house again. Even with parents who didn't love him. Even not having money or the best clothes. Just going to school, cooking his own dinners at home most nights and eating alone. He'd have even gone back to before he knew Noct, when he was literally all alone in the world. Anything was better than this.

Prompto felt his breaths growing quicker, entirely shallow as he squeezed his eyes closed as tight as he could and tried to take his mind further away. There were other things to think about, things that might help him get through this. There was a whole world out there, so much more than what was happening in this room.

One day he'd go to a chocobo ranch. He'd meet all the chocobos, find the cutest one, and learn how to ride it. Maybe he could even buy a chocobo. He could become a chocobo farmer... Let Noctis visit, have a cute guest room set up... Teach Noct to ride chocobos. He bet his friend wouldn't be good at it. Prompto would be good at it. They could race and Prompto would always win. Noctis would get bitter about always losing and it would be funny.

Then they could go fishing, go camping... They could drive around and see all the things Ardyn told him about. Up close. The narwhal, the volcano... The ruins that opened up at night and that was somehow under water. There were so many beautiful things to see, things he could come back and see with Noct... if he ever got out of this hellish nightmare...

Choking out another pained sob, Prompto inhaled a shaky breath. He might never get away. He might never see Noct again. What would his best friend think? That Prompto just ran away? That he didn't like being friends and left? Would Noct hate him for disappearing? Would the prince find out where Prompto was really from and not even want him to come back? Then if Prompto ever did manage to make it home, years from now... Noct wouldn't even like him anymore...

Prompto moaned as he blinked his eyes open, unfortunately unintentionally letting himself focus on what was real again. Verstael was still doing what he'd been doing, still slowly easing into him, looking frustrated as he had to continue moving painfully slow while Prompto's body resisted. The worst part of this moment was the fact that Prompto wasn't even resisting on purpose. He wished he could relax, so Verstael would just do it and be done, so it wouldn't hurt him. Prompto didn't want to be tense, to resist to the point where Verstael would get frustrated and rough. He just wanted this to be over with... But his body wasn't going to let him calm down. It was going to be a struggle. It was going to hurt... He was too scared, his body too inexperienced... Relaxing just wasn't possible.

Prompto shook his head, biting his lip as tears blurred his vision. Hardly any time at all had passed since he tried to stop being mentally present. He hadn't gotten through anything while his mind wandered. It was still the same thing... His attempt to take his mind away had failed. He started thinking about things that were horrible in a different way. His only line of defense was nothing. He couldn't even do that. He couldn't even dissociate without it being painful too...

Versteal exhaled an annoyed breath, but finally backed off a bit, removing his penis the tiny amount he'd forced it in, and replacing it with two of his fingers instead. "You have to stop panicking." He growled, shoving his fingers in kind of roughly. It was clear he was frustrated by Prompto's failure to relax and make this easy.

"I c-can't..." Prompto choked, turning his face to the side and closing his eyes. "Y-you're hurting me... I just wanna go home. Please let me go home..."

Verstael squeezed his hand threateningly around Prompto's neck as he moved his fingers roughly down below, forcing in a third and shoving them in and out just as roughly. "Look at me." He growled.

"No..." Prompto whimpered, squeezing his eyes closed tighter.

"Look at me." Verstael growled again, thrusting his fingers harder and squeezing his hand tighter around Prompto's throat.

Reluctantly, Prompto did as ordered, blinking his tear-filled eyes open. He didn't want to look at the man, but he didn't want to be choked to death either.

Verstael smiled as he and Prompto made eye-contact, as his hand continued to move rather roughly down below, but his grip around Prompto's throat loosened toward being merely a threat rather than actually cutting off his air supply.

Prompto felt himself shaking as he stared up through his tears. Verstael's expression was terrifying. He looked so pleased with himself, smiling evilly. The man's fingers down between Prompto's legs were moving faster, much more roughly than the other times. Verstael was clearly losing his patience, perhaps realizing he enjoyed being rough more than being gentle.

Flinching and letting out a pained groan, Prompto gritted his teeth when Versteal forced a fourth finger next to the others. He wasn't pushing in as deep anymore - he couldn't... They wouldn't possibly all fit. "Please-" Prompto choked, feeling his breaths catch in his throat as tears streamed down his cheeks. "It hurts... Please..." He whimpered.

"Shhh..." Verstael breathed, pushing his fingers as deep as he could, sliding them out, then forcing them back. "We're getting through this... We'll make it work. It's more difficult than I guessed, but I suppose this just means you weren't lying when you said you hadn't done this before. That's a good thing. I'm honored to be your first, and I'll be as gentle as I can, but if you keep resisting, I'm going to have to force it."

Prompto squeezed his eyes back closed and turned his face to the side as weak sobs spilled out of his mouth. He felt so light-headed. He couldn't even manage any more words at this point, only soft, shaking whimpers as his heart pounded in his terrified chest. He was pretty sure he was going to pass out soon if things kept going this way. He hoped he did. Maybe if Verstael started choking him again, demanding that Prompto look at him, Prompto just would refuse so he'd be choked to unconsciousness. Even if the man choked him to actual death, he might prefer it to whatever hell the man had planned for him to suffer through for the rest of his life.

"Take a good breath." Verstael suggested, his voice low and breathy as he loosened his grip around Prompto's neck and used his hand to press against the boy's thigh instead, further spreading his legs as he re-positioned his penis between them. "I was hoping to let you adjust to it before diving in, but you're just too worked up... I think I'm going to just go for it... Do yourself a favor and relax."

Prompto choked out a trembling sob, shaking his head slightly. He was so embarrassed, so terrified. "Please stop... Don't do this... Please... I'll do anything! I'll get you money... I'll work for you. I'll be your personal employee and you don't even have to pay me! I'll do anything you want, forever! Just not this... please!" He whimpered, knowing it would do no good. Verstael was going to do this. There was nothing Prompto could to do change his mind... He only wished he could pass out, so the horrible pain that would tear through his body at any moment would at least happen while he was unconscious.

Inhaling a shaky breath, Prompto squeezed his eyes shut, trying his best to make his body relax as he braced himself for what was likely to be the worst pain he'd ever felt in his life. But the horrible pain he expected never came. Instead, Prompto heard a sharp grunt, followed by the heavy feeling of his attacker's weight falling on top of him.

Prompto choked out a breathless cough as he blinked his eyes open, trying to move his arms to push the man off of him. He wasn't moving. It seemed like he passed out or something, but why would he have? It didn't make sense…

Though he still wasn't sure what was happening, Prompto did know that he was in pain, that he could hardly breathe with the man's body weight pressed down against his chest. He let out a pained, breathless moan as he blinked through the pain and grimaced. Tears still streamed freely down his face.

"My gods… Child, are you hurt? Did he hurt you?" Ardyn's voice breathed as Prompto felt the heavy body being lifted off of him and shoved to the side.

Prompto was shaking as he stared from Verstael to Ardyn. Verstael was entirely still, silent… Was he dead? Did Ardyn kill him?

Ardyn shook his head as rolled his friend over the edge of the bed and down to the floor. He seemed disappointed - maybe disappointed in Verstael, maybe in Prompto for being so weak and naive, for being an idiot, for leaving the door unlocked again - Ardyn warned him about that, more than once.

"I never wanted it to end this way, old friend." The man spoke, staring down at Verstael for a few seconds. "Your actions were entirely reprehensible... and that's quite a charge coming from me..."

"Prompto… Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Ardyn asked again as he looked back toward the bed. He glanced down between the boy's still spread legs, frowning, then looking back up into his eyes. "Are you hurt?" He narrowed his eyes, waiting for a moment before leaning down a little closer, perhaps noticing Prompto was having a hard time speaking, and an even harder time moving.

Placing his hand lightly on Prompto's cheek, Ardyn frowned. "Did he drug you again?" The man asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "Can you move?"

Prompto swallowed tiredly and nodded. "He injected… something… I think the s- the same as before…" He closed his eyes, feeling his body falling further asleep as it had before. Now that the frantic fear he'd felt when Verstael was on top of him was melting away, he felt more tired than ever. "I'm not hurt… I don't think…" He added.

"Good… Let's get out of here." Ardyn exhaled, pulling the sheet up off the bed, wrapping it around Prompto, and lifting him up in his arms.

Prompto closed his eyes again, leaning his head against Ardyn's chest, listening to the man's breaths. He wanted to ask how Arydn knew to come check on him when he did, whether he was nearby watching and listening the whole time… but he was so tired. He couldn't get the words to come out of his mouth.

As he had no choice but to lie still in the man's arms, Prompto felt tears rising up in his throat. He was so relieved Ardyn came in and stopped Verstael when he did, but that didn't erase what the man did that Ardyn hadn't stopped. That didn't undo the fact that Verstael scared the hell out of him, grabbed him, groped him, did the same thing before only more painful. And he may not have managed to take his plan as far as he'd planned. Prompto didn't have to suffer through hours of painful, deep penetration. His attacker hadn't managed to fully thrust into him, but Verstael did start to do it... and it was horrible, painful, completely humiliating - even worse than the fingers.

Although he would have liked to try to remain stoic, to pretend he was strong and unaffected by this, to not look even more weak than he already had in front of Ardyn, Prompto couldn't. He choked out a shaking sob, grabbing with a weak grip toward the front of the man's shirt, trying his best to hold on, to reassure himself that he was safe, that Ardyn was saving him this time, not taking him somewhere bad.

"Shhh…" Ardyn breathed, pulling Prompto closer against his chest.

Prompto shook his head as another choked, shaking sob spilled out of his mouth. Ardyn probably wanted him to shut up so he wouldn't attract attention, so no one out in town would hear him crying, look over, and wonder what Ardyn was up to… But he couldn't get himself to stop. He was so overwhelmed, so scared, betrayed, horrified. His heart was broken.

"We're getting out of here. Take a breath. Just take slow breaths, baby." Ardyn suggested as he rubbed his hand over Prompto's arm and carried him down the hall of the motel.

Prompto couldn't get himself to stop crying though. His body was shaking so much that his sobs were mixed with the sound of his teeth chattering. He wanted to hold onto Ardyn for dear life, but he couldn't even do that. He only managed lose fists tangled in the front of the man's shirt.

"You're alright. You'll be okay… But you need to calm yourself. You're going to get people asking me questions if you're not careful…" Ardyn warned. "I don't want to try to explain this to anyone. I won't bother."

Prompto felt his breath hitch in his throat. Was that a threat? A threat that what happened to the man at the shop was going to happen to someone here if they heard all of this? Prompto didn't want that… What if the guy from the diner was nearby? What if he heard Prompto crying and suspected Ardyn was the cause? What if he demanded that Ardyn let him go, tried to keep Ardyn from leaving… Ardyn would kill him… The server at the diner was so kind. Prompto didn't want him to get hurt.

Prompto's tears stopped rather abruptly as soon as the cold fear of getting the kind man from the diner killed had settled in his mind… He tried to focus on breathing instead, though his breaths shook with the tears that still wanted to fall.

"That's it. Breathe in… Slow, easy breaths…" Ardyn continued, pushing open the back door of the motel and carrying Prompto out into a secluded alley. "You're safe. Verstael's gone. He won't hurt you anymore. I won't hurt you."

Frowning as he looked around, Prompto noticed stacks of crates, a dumpster… and the familiar sight of Ardyn's car as the man approached it.

"I'll be right back." Ardyn noted as he placed Prompto in the passenger seat of his car. It was parked behind the hotel apparently. Had it been there this whole time? Would Prompto have known the man was still lurking around if he just looked behind the building?

"Wait…" Prompto frowned as Ardyn's words finally sunk in. He'd be right back? Where was he going? He was leaving Prompto by himself? Just wrapped in a sheet, unable to move to fight back if he needed to? What if Verstael got back up, came out here, got into the car and stole him away?

"Just hang tight. I'll be right back." Ardyn repeated, clapping his hand over Prompto's shoulder and forcing a small smile.

"No…" Prompto shook his head. "No… Don't leave… Don't leave me out here alone…" He reached weakly toward the man's sleeve, his fingertips brushing against it, but failing to grasp the garment. "Please don't leave me by myself…" He whimpered, fresh tears stinging at his eyes.

Ardyn shook his head. "Just for a moment. To get your clothes… and my fucking knife."

"Y-your knife?" Prompto whispered.

"It's in your dear old dad's back, child. Keep yourself quiet. I'll return within a minute." Ardyn said again, jogging back toward the motel.

Prompto's lip trembled as he sunk down in the seat. His arms were so heavy. His fingers were shaky, uncoordinated. He wanted to adjust the sheet, to wrap it more securely around himself, as it had fallen down over one shoulder, showing most of his chest, getting dangerously close to exposing below his waist as well…

But he couldn't get his limbs to work. He couldn't manage to lift his arm and keep it lifted long enough to reach the sheet, grab it, and pull it up.

Prompto inhaled a shaking breath, feeling panic rising in his chest. What if Verstael wasn't dead? What if he killed Ardyn when Ardyn went out there, and Ardyn never came back? What if Verstael did instead? And took the car, with Prompto in it, drove him far, far away… hurt him as many times as he wanted, every day even… more than once a day. Verstael was much more rough the second time. His patience had worn down. He was really going to be angry if he caught up with Prompto again... Probably wouldn't even bother trying to stretch him out with fingers first or use lubrication. He wouldn't care if it hurt. He'd probably just go straight to the worst thing.

Prompto felt his breaths quicken as he thought about all the things Verstael could do to him if he managed to steal him away. He could take him back to the lab and have literally infinite time to do whatever he wanted. He could make Prompto use his mouth on him... He could use his mouth on Prompto. He could tie him down, rape him without interruption, as long as he wanted, as many times as he wanted.

Grimacing and squeezing his eyes shut, Prompto shrunk down further. He didn't know what to do. He was so defenseless. He hated this so much. If Verstael wasn't dead, if he got out here before Ardyn did - or worse, if he killed Ardyn… No one was going to be able to stop him. Ardyn had saved him from the man twice, but if Verstael came out here instead of Ardyn, if he took the car… He could stow Prompto away somewhere - in that terrifying lab… He could keep him forever.

With his lip trembling again, Prompto couldn't help but to start crying softly. He was so scared. Why couldn't he just be done with this? He wanted to go home… He wanted to just wear clothing without anyone stealing them from him, cutting them off of him, demanding that he take them off… He wanted his body to be covered, hidden, exposed only on his own terms. He wanted to feel safe again.

Prompto let out an inadvertent scream and flinched when he felt hands on him. His eyes shot open as he shook his head and thrashed what little he could. "Don't!" He sobbed. "Please! Don't touch me! Please!" He whimpered, blinking through his tears, trying to focus in the dark, to see who was grabbing him.

"It's just me…" Ardyn whispered, pulling the sheet up to cover Prompto's chest and shoulder again, fixing it where it had fallen down, then resting his hands on Prompto's upper arms. "I want to make some distance from here here before anyone notices what I've done… We can get you dressed in a little bit, once we're further away. Alright?"

Prompto nodded slightly. He wasn't sure if Ardyn even noticed, since the movement was so subtle. Maybe he didn't even manage to move. Maybe he just thought he did.

"Your clothes are in the back…" Ardyn noted. "Your name wasn't given to anyone, unless you gave it, so you shouldn't be implicated in this, but if you are, it was self defense, clearly. The man's pants are halfway down for gods' sake."

Prompto swallowed staring at Ardyn silently as the man put the car into drive and headed out.

xxxxxx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you thought all of that horrifying stuff with Verstael was over... Now it is. :D


	18. Chapter 18

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Chapter 18

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Ardyn didn't speak for a while as he drove, managing to make it pretty far away from the motel before finally breaking the silence, pulling the car over, putting it into park, and then turning in his seat to better face his companion.

Prompto still seemed a little too out of it to get himself dressed. He looked exhausted, and wasn't moving much, but he remained awake so far. Ardyn could tell he was still heavily affected by the drug by the mere fact that the sheet was falling down off of him again and the boy hadn't reached down to fix it. Instead, he remained with his head leaned heavily against the seat, staring at Ardyn with a frown.

Ardyn reached across the seat and grabbed the edge of the sheet, pausing for a moment and frowning when he noticed a rather dark bruise on the boy's ribs. He was pretty sure he was the cause of that. He'd punched the child quite hard there.

"What are you doing?" Prompto whispered, holding his breath and tensing, clearly suspicious of Ardyn lingering, staring.

Ardyn shook his head, pulling the sheet closed and then leaning back. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Prompto stuck his lip out. Ardyn had already asked him that. Prompto had already answered. Verstael didn't hurt him too badly. He wasn't physically hurt… That's what he said. But that wasn't what Ardyn was asking. He was asking if Prompto was mentally alright… He clearly wasn't. He was overwhelmed, terrified, heartbroken.

"I was nearby all along, but not close enough to watch you every second…" Ardyn frowned. "It was my intent to check in every hour or so, in secret - to keep an eye on you, make sure you were making progress toward getting home. I didn't realize he was watching too. I didn't realize he followed us to Taelpar, nor that he'd followed you into the room… I only happened to peak in through the window and see what he was doing… I guess you're lucky the door was still unlocked. Might have taken me another moment otherwise."

"S-so it's good I left it unlocked this time?" Prompto breathed, forcing his eyelids to remain open even though he was quite clearly utterly exhausted.

"I suppose…" Ardyn frowned, choosing not to mention the fact that Verstael likely easily made his way into the room by the same method. "I shouldn't have left you there… I figured you could make it back on your own, and I'm sure you could have… but I didn't count on Verstael being unable - or rather unwilling - to forget about you. I didn't realize there was any danger in the area greater than myself... Not that he's a greater danger than I am... I won't give him undue credit in that department. I'm far more dangerous than he is."

Prompto inhaled a small breath, his eyes widening as he reached up with trembling hands and pulled the sheet tighter around his shoulders.

"That isn't to say I'm a danger to you presently..." Ardyn grimaced, raising his hands in defense and forcing a small laugh. "I'm dangerous... You know this... But in this moment, with you, I've chosen not to be..." He exhaled and closed his eyes. "I'm getting off-course. The fact of the matter his, he was stalking after you. I was unaware. I'd never have left you on your own - or would have at least checked in more frequently - if I had any idea he was still a threat."

"You were watching then? The whole time I thought I was by myself, you were watching? Like you said would?" Prompto whispered, still staring with furrowed brows.

"Yes." Ardyn nodded. "Not literally the whole time. As I said, I checked in. Spent some time at the Crow's Nest, wandered down to the shop, sampled some of their wine - they don't have the greatest selection, by the way, but I never expected otherwise... I was in the area. I figured you wouldn't get yourself into any trouble until dawn at the earliest, so I wasn't watching as closely as I clearly needed to, but I was around."

"Are you mad at me?" Prompto whispered, shrinking down slightly in the seat.

Ardyn frowned. "What?"

"F-for talking to the man at the diner? I didn't tell him the truth… I swear I didn't tell him about you or Verstael. I didn't tell him anything important, I don't think... but I asked how to get back… I told him where I'm from." Prompto bit his lower lip. "He said it looked like someone hit me. He was suspicious… He kept asking if I was okay and like, if I was alone, and why I was alone. B-but I lied, and I didn't tell him the truth."

Ardyn shook his head. "Why would I be mad about that?"

"B-because… he was suspicious…" Prompto whispered. "Maybe I shouldn't have talked to him… Maybe he'll say some boy from Insomnia was there, being weird… They'll find out it was me… somehow track where I was, that you were there… I shouldn't have said anything to him… He didn't do anything wrong… He just wanted to help… You won't hurt him… Ardyn, please don't hurt him. I don't want you to hurt him. He only wanted to help me."

"No… Prompto, we're not even in town anymore. You said you didn't tell him. I believe you… I'm not going to hurt anyone." Ardyn frowned.

Prompto closed his eyes and exhaled. "I was scared you'd kill him… He was really nice… He just wanted to help me… L-like the guy at the store…" He added in a shaky whisper, bringing his hand up toward his lips and sniffing back tears. "He tried to help. I didn't mean to say so much to him. It just came out… and now he's dead… I messed up and he's dead…"

Ardyn shook his head. "That wasn't your fault." He blurted.

Prompto's lip trembled as he blinked his eyes back open. They were shining with tears. "I should have never made eye contact with him… I should have never told him… I think he was probably looking at me like that because my split lip… He saw I was hurt and was worried for me, but I could have just not said anything. I was selfish to risk his life to try to save myself."

"Prompto…" Ardyn frowned, reaching over and putting his hand lightly on the boy's shoulder, feeling rather strange to be offering physical comfort to someone who was crying because of Ardyn's own actions.

"You warned me, and I did it anyway. He would be alive if I hadn't-" Prompto choked out a small sob.

"If I hadn't killed him. It was my fault, Prompto. Don't feel guilty that I'm a monster, that I put you in a position to choose trying to save yourself at the risk of someone else. I was taking you toward a cruel, sadistic man who planned to torture and molest you. You were right to look for help, to try to escape, to run at every chance. I'm the only one to blame for any of this, so don't feel responsible." Ardyn explained.

"Will you take me back to Insomnia?" Prompto whispered. "S-so I don't have to try to find someone else to? I'm scared… Of everyone…"

Ardyn shook his head. "Don't be scared of everyone… I'll take you back, but don't let this make you fearful of the world." Only two people out in the world had hurt him during this, and one of the two was in the car with him right now. Prompto didn't need to fear the whole world.

"I just want to go home." Prompto whimpered.

"I'll make sure you get there. I'll take you back myself." Ardyn promised again. "I'll take you very close to the gate. You'll just have to walk up to it… The prince probably has people looking for you, so you'll be good as soon as you near the gate, I'd think."

Prompto nodded. "I hope he's looking for me." He breathed. "He's like my only real family… Verstael's not. He's not my dad… He wouldn't have hurt me like that if he were."

Ardyn frowned. "He is your dad, Prompto. He's your real, biological family. Just about as close of a relative to you as another human being possibly could be... Doesn't mean you have to like him, but he truly is. I wasn't lying about that."

Prompto shook his head, his eyes filling with tears. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but also looked like he wasn't going to, like he was going to let his tears speak for him.

"He was a sick man… Whoever stole you from him all those years ago must have known that." Ardyn explained. "It's no reflection of you that he's like that. He hurt you because there's something wrong with him - not because of anything wrong with you."

Prompto's lip trembled again as his tears threatened to fall. This probably wasn't the answer he was hoping for when he questioned where he came from. He wanted a family. A loving, caring family… Not Verstael. Verstael was the opposite of what he wanted.

Raising his arms with a bit of difficulty, Prompto hid his face in his hands, unable to stop himself from sobbing pitifully. He dragged his feet up into the car's seat, seemingly expending just about all the energy he had left, curling in on himself and crying harder than he had perhaps ever cried in his life.

Ardyn grimaced as he sat in his seat, silently watching the boy, unsure of what to do. A part of him wanted to reach over and pull the child into an embrace. He wasn't sure if that would be comforting or terrifying for Prompto though. He also wasn't sure if it was the right move. Ardyn was the reason all this happened. Ardyn stole the boy away from home, traumatized him, took him to someone even worse than himself… This was all Ardyn's doing. Prompto wouldn't have ever had to suffer through any of this if not for him.

Did Ardyn have any right to believe a hug from him to the boy would make any bit of damn difference? Did he have the right to offer that comfort, even if Prompto welcomed it, to give himself the satisfaction of knowing he kidnapped the boy, hurt and humiliated him, delivered him to a rapist, and then hugged him afterward, made it all better by being some weird hero figure after completely fucking the boy over first?

"He was really gonna do it…" Prompto whimpered, pulling himself into a smaller ball. "I was so scared… I just wanted a real family… Even after you said he wasn't a good father, that it wouldn't be what I hoped... I still wondered if maybe you were wrong. I still had a bit of hope that he'd be the dad I always wanted, the family I missed out on. Why would he hurt me? Why would he do something so terrible... so mean, so painful and humiliating to me... Why would he want to do that if I'm his son?"

Ardyn shook his head. "Like I said… He's sick… He's grown mad over the years… Even worse than me…" He frowned. Ardyn wasn't always as fucked up as he was now. Back all those years ago, before his life spiraled into pain and chaos… He'd have never played a part in this, in hurting and traumatizing an innocent fifteen year old boy. He'd turned himself into a monster…

Ardyn didn't have to contemplate whether he should hug the boy or not anymore. Prompto ultimately made the decision for him, climbing with rather uncoordinated limbs over the middle of the seat and throwing his arms around Ardyn's shoulders, hiding his face in the man's chest and sobbing even harder.

Inhaling a surprised breath, entirely unsure of what to do for a moment, Ardyn moved his arms down, hugging the boy back lightly. He was speechless for once, unable to really find the right words to try to make this better. He couldn't fix what had happened. He couldn't erase it.

"I thought it would be different…" Prompto sobbed. "Even when you said he wasn't a good dad, wasn't the fatherly type… I still hoped you were wrong…" He whimpered between shaking, breathless crying. "He was so mean… So cruel… I wanted him to be different."

"I know…" Ardyn breathed, putting his hand on the back of Prompto's head, holding him close as the boy clung to him, still sobbing breathlessly.

It felt odd to be offering such close, physical comfort to a child he'd kidnapped, who just a day ago he would have hurt on purpose. If Prompto had been crying like this after he'd told the man at the shop that Ardyn had kidnapped him, before Ardyn saw the scars on his back, back when he wanted the boy to suffer for his sins, Ardyn would have loved it. He'd have enjoyed every second of the breathless sobs... but not now.

Prompto pulled himself closer, choosing now to simply cry rather than saying anything else. He probably couldn't have managed a full sentence anyway at this point, not with how horrible his sobs were.

"He's gone." Ardyn assured the boy, gently petting the back of his head with one hand and rubbing the other carefully over his upper back. The child's entire body was trembling, and Ardyn could tell is wasn't all from the crying. He was also still scared, probably cold. "You're safe now. He's gone. He can't ever come near you again."

Prompto's sobbing only seemed to be getting louder, more frantic, more out of control as he slid his arms down closer to himself, gripping weakly at the front of Ardyn's shirt and shrinking down against his chest.

"It's okay. You're alright now…" Ardyn spoke what he hoped were soothing words as he pulled the boy closer against himself. He wasn't really sure what else to say. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd consoled someone like this - especially not a child. "Go ahead and cry it out… You seem to need it…" He grimaced. Crying was hardly something he could even remotely relate to anymore. Ardyn couldn't remember the last time he cried. Most of his emotions these days were either anger or sadistic bliss. He'd get pissed at people for doing him wrong, then exact revenge and feel positively giddy. There wasn't much in between.

The boy's breaths shook as his sobbing continued. "It hurt…" He whimpered.

Ardyn held his breath. "It did?" He frowned. "You mean Verstael? What he did hurt you?"

"Yeah." Prompto whispered, leaning his head lightly against Ardyn's chest, squeezing his eyes shut as tears continued to stream down his cheeks.

Ardyn swallowed. Prompto told him he wasn't hurt earlier. He honestly wasn't sure how much Verstael had managed to do before Ardyn intervened. Did he hurt the boy significantly? He hadn't noticed any blood when he glanced briefly down between the boy's legs before wrapping him up in the sheet and carrying him out… It had seemed like Verstael was only getting started. It didn't look like he actually got to the worst of it, but maybe he had. Maybe he'd raped the boy more than once and was started back up for a second or third time. Ardyn hadn't checked in on him for a while... The man had a lot of time to do a lot of sick things... Was Prompto hurt more than Ardyn realized? More than the boy admitted?

"Do you need medical attention?" Adryn frowned.

Prompto shook his head. "No…" He whispered.

"Are you certain? I can get you to a hospital..." Ardyn grimaced. "I'm not suggesting I'll be the one to examine you. We can get you to a professional, someone who'll be gentle, understanding..." He hesitated. It wasn't a good idea, really, to take this boy to the hospital. The doctors would certainly suspect Ardyn to be the culprit here... but then, he could always drop the boy off and leave, let him find his own way back home. The hospital staff would likely even help arrange transportation for him. They weren't going to release a little fifteen year old boy who'd clearly been kidnapped and abused to get home on his own.

Prompto looked down. "I don't need a hospital. I'm not hurt... It wasn't a lot… just… It was really scary… And it kinda hurt at the time… But he didn't do the worst thing… He just… Sorta started... It hurt, and I know it was gonna hurt a lot worse, but... He only started doing it... He was going slow, and it hurt... I could tell it was gonna be really painful when he did it all the way... but he didn't... He was going to. He was getting ready to..." The boy breathed in shakily and shook his head again, shaking the words away before he said them. "I don't want to talk about it…." He whimpered.

"Okay…" Ardyn nodded. "You don't have to. If you're not hurt, we don't ever have to talk about it. Okay?"

Prompto nodded silently.

Ardyn frowned. Was that dismissive? Was that wrong of him? To encourage Prompto to keep quiet about such a traumatizing event? "If you wish to talk about it, however... You may do so. I'm willing to listen..."

Prompto shook his head. "I don't want to." He persisted.

"Alright. Fair enough. He's gone now, so whatever he did, he can't do it again. It's all over…" Ardyn reminded the boy, rubbing his hand carefully over his back, then using his other hand to pull the sheet more securely back around Prompto's shoulders. He seemed to have all but forgotten that it was the only thing he was wearing. He wasn't keeping good track of its placement anymore.

Prompto sniffed, his breaths shaky as he remained pretty much sitting in Ardyn's lap, clearly no longer fearful of the man, having decided to put trust in him now. Trust Ardyn absolutely didn't feel like he deserved. The poor boy was simply so desperate, and Ardyn - a violent sociopath who had threatened to rape him less than twenty four hours ago was the closest thing to a symbol of safety he could find.

"He's dead. He can't hurt you ever again." Ardyn went on, letting the boy slowly start to relax in his arms, laying his head against Ardyn's chest and closing his eyes as his sobs slowly died down into somewhat shaky, but even breaths.

For a moment, the two sat wordlessly, with only Prompto's tiny breaths and occasional sniffs breaking the silence. The child's body language indicated that he trusted Ardyn - or at least that he was forcing himself to pretend to - grasping at straws, clinging onto the only thing that almost resembled safety. He seemed content for the moment to remain in the man's embrace, to trust that his kidnapper was done hurting him, wouldn't take advantage of the fact that he was drugged, weakened, exhausted, practically naked.

The poor boy wanted so desperately to feel loved, secure, and safe. That's all he seemed to want in life... He didn't need money, the best clothes and food... Just security... people he could trust, people who would protect him, help him when he needed it... Ardyn wondered if he should tell Prompto he was safe with him - that Ardyn wasn't going to let him out of his sight again until he was home, that he could literally guarantee his safety from here on out. Would it sound threatening? Would Prompto be frightened by Ardyn mentioning that he wasn't going to allow Prompto to leave his sight? Would that sound like before, when he told the child he'd hurt him if he tried to leave?

"I was really scared of you this whole time." Prompto noted after a long silence, his voice low, almost like he was half asleep.

Ardyn couldn't help but to laugh softly. "I made sure of that, my dear."

"Yeah." Prompto nodded slightly. "I know. You threw out a lot of pretty horrible threats... and you did kill that man..."

"This is true." Ardyn laughed, though he didn't find humor in it. He'd been so unfair to this innocent little boy. Prompto didn't deserve even a minute of it.

Prompto frowned, glancing up toward Ardyn's face for a moment before looking back down. "That was awful... What you did to him. He didn't deserve that. I'm glad you didn't want to kill me... And that you didn't really want to rape me - that you were just trying to scare me, and that you saved me from Verstael. I'm glad you changed your mind and didn't hurt me really bad or leave me with him forever... but what you did to that man was so wrong. I might have thought you were a good person deep down if not for that..."

Ardyn stared, for a moment feeling something that was a mixture of anger, disappointment, and guilt. For some reason it mattered to him that Prompto thought he was a monster. He wanted Prompto to be safe, and wanted Prompto to feel safe with him... Ardyn wasn't a good person. Not on the surface or deep down. He was a monster and he knew it, but he made a conscious decision to treat Prompto better than he had originally intended. Somehow he got invested in the boy's well-being... but he couldn't take back what he'd done. He couldn't bring back the man he'd killed, or take back all the times he hammered it into the boy's mind that the man died because of him.

He couldn't change all of the horrible things that went through his mind before - when he wanted to see Prompto suffer, when he wanted to hear him sobbing and moaning in pain, wanted him terrified, degraded, and hurt. Ardyn had even briefly allowed the thought of actually raping the boy flit through his mind. He hadn't even come close to actually doing it, but when he was at his most frustrated, knowing it was what the boy feared most, Ardyn had almost considered it.

He had changed his mind on Prompto. It had happened rather quickly - the moments that shifted the tone, that made him go from feeling excited and amused at the thought of seeing the boy crying in pain and fear to feeling angry about it. Two days ago, Ardyn would have been astoundingly amused to force Prompto to undress, to make sure the boy believed he was about to be sexually assaulted, then to viciously whip him. It would have been funny to him to see the dread and horror in the child's eyes. He would have wanted to laugh while he grabbed the boy's throat and squeezed, enjoying knowing he was restricting his breathing, making him think he might die.

He didn't want any of that now, and thinking of Verstael deliberately hurting the child made him so angry... He even killed the man for it - his old friend... if he could even call anyone a friend... He'd killed Verstael for hurting this boy. This boy he didn't give a damn about two days ago.

"You have some good in you, I think." Prompto went on, his voice tiny. "But you have an awful lot of darkness too."

Ardyn let out a measured breath. None of this was news. He knew he was a twisted person. He knew he'd done more terrible things than he could count - that he'd caused more pain and suffering than joy... He hadn't always been like this. He once wanted to help people, and though a part of him thought he deserved some credit for that - for being good once - he knew that wasn't the case. He was good. Now he wasn't. Ardyn being kind and generous in the past didn't help people who lived in the present.

"Maybe you could turn it all around." Prompto whispered, his voice still so tired, on the verge of sleep. "You can't change what you already did, but you can start doing good things from here on out... You can help people instead of hurting them..."

"That's what I'm doing right now." Ardyn scowled down at the boy as a gust of wind ruffled his blonde hair and he shivered, shrinking closer to Ardyn. "Give me some credit, Love. Please..." He forced a small laugh.

Prompto let out a soft, breathless laugh as well. "I don't understand what made you change your mind about me." He went on, his eyebrows furrowing. "It couldn't have been the scars, but that's what it seems like."

"It was a lot of things." Ardyn frowned. "I didn't realize you lived with an abusive parent... That your life hasn't been the dream it looked to be. You seemed to have it all, to be sheltered, sickeningly so... I wanted to break something pristine, and didn't realize you were already broken."

Prompto frowned and looked down. "I'm not broken." He whispered.

Ardyn shook his head. "Nearly everyone is broken... In your case, something about your circumstance made me not want to break you further. Verstael felt the opposite."

"Yeah." Prompto grimaced. "He really wanted to hurt me... He didn't care. I don't know why he wanted to do that so much... He knew I was scared... That I didn't want to do it..." His voice trembled slightly as tears started shining in his eyes again.

"I regret the role I played in this incident." Ardyn spoke, running his hand lightly up over Prompto's back, hugging him closer against his chest. "I'm not owed forgiveness. I won't ask for it. I just want you to know I understand I put you into a horrible scenario, and you didn't deserve it. I shouldn't have thrust you into this nightmare against your will."

"Thank you." Prompto whispered. "I don't know if I can forgive you… But I appreciate the apology… and I want to thank you for coming back for me… After you left me in the lab… Y-you didn't have to come back. You could have left me there, but you didn't. You did a horrible thing to start, but you changed your mind and did something good. You should get credit for that."

Ardyn shrugged slightly. "I felt guilty, believe it or not." He forced a small laugh, but then frowned again. "I never wanted any of that to happen to you. I've done horrible things to people, but I draw the line there, and I'm sickened that he didn't have a similar line drawn for himself."

"Thank you for making him stop. Both times." Prompto continued.

Ardyn stared down at the top of Prompto's head as the boy remained pressing himself close against the man's chest. Ardyn wasn't exactly comfortable with Prompto thanking him for anything at this point. Whether he took steps to fix the problems he created for this child or not, he couldn't take back everything he'd done and everything he'd enabled.

"I'm going to make this right - as much as I can." Ardyn frowned. "I can't take any of it back, but I can put a stop to it. I won't cause you any more pain from here. I'll get you home…"

"Thank you, Ardyn…" Prompto spoke in a tiny voice, leaning further against the man's chest and pausing for a long moment. "I'm so tired." He whispered.

"How about you get some sleep along the way then." Ardyn suggested. "I'll try to get us there by mid-morning… But you'll want to get dressed before we arrive. Won't do to have you walking up to the gate only dressed in a sheet."

"Yeah… How embarrassing…" Prompto laughed softly, tiredly climbing back over toward his side of the seat. "Sorry… for like… climbing on your lap." He looked down.

"Don't worry about it." Ardyn frowned. "Just get some rest. Sleep off the sedative so you'll be able to get yourself dressed in a few hours… so I don't have to do it." He forced a small smile.

Prompto laughed softly too. "Yeah… I guess I should do that myself, huh?" He agreed.

Ardyn nodded, starting the car back up and beginning the journey back toward Insomnia, to do his very best to make right the horrible thing he did to this poor young man, who'd never done a damn thing to deserve it.

xxxxxx


	19. Chapter 19

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Chapter 19

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The next few hours flew by in a foggy blur. Ardyn pulled the car over again when they were near the gate to Insomnia, but Prompto's mind was still so muddled - perhaps even more so than earlier. He felt like he was in a dream. His movements were still slow, stiff, exhausted. He felt sick again, like he had the first time Verstael drugged him. The fever side effect seemed to settle in more as the sedative wore off.

Prompto didn't remember the entirety of his journey back to Insomnia. He didn't remember every detail about arriving. Only bits and pieces, like parts of a distant dream. Ardyn had helped him get dressed - he had to, since Prompto was still so tired… Then the man drove him up toward the gate, parking out of view and urging Prompto to walk up on his own.

It had certainly been a chore. Prompto was so exhausted, dragging his feet as he went, feeling like he was sleepwalking… He stumbled a few times, had to squeeze his eyes shut when the sun felt too bright, but he ultimately made it.

Guards ambushed him before he was even close to the actual gate. They wore armor, held guns, seemed angry... and for a moment he feared they wouldn't know who he was - that they'd think he was up to something, that they'd arrest him - or worse, shoot him. Immediately after that thought had flitted into his head, an even worse one followed - what if they DID know who he was? That he was from Niflheim... They'd shoot him for sure...

He remembered putting his hands up in surrender, physically shaking as he sunk down to his knees, shrinking down, breathing heavy, fearful breaths as the guards approached. He wasn't sure if he spoke when they approached him. He knew he wanted to. He wanted to say who he was, explain that he was coming home - not trying to break in... beg them not to hurt him… but he wasn't sure the words made their way out. He was pretty sure he just remained on the ground, on his knees, cowering down with his shaking arms still raised in defense, silently hoping they'd understand he wasn't a threat, that he needed help.

He recalled their hands on his arms, their voices worried. One of them said his name. Someone mentioned the prince… His fear melted into relief and he must have passed out, because the next thing he knew, he was waking up, in a hospital bed, with someone's hand squeezing his.

As he came back into the waking world, Prompto heard the faint beeping of a heart monitor. For a moment that alone made him hold his breath. It reminded him of the sound of the heart monitor Verstael had hooked him up to... But he could tell he wasn't there. He wasn't strapped down to a table. He was in a bed, with his limbs free to move, and someone was holding his hand, not hurting him. He wasn't naked. He wasn't shivering from the chill air biting at his skin... He felt the soft, yet almost scratchy hospital bed sheets resting on him on top of an equally thin and uncomfortable hospital gown. Even with the clothing and sheets not being the best quality, Prompto felt a warm feeling in his chest knowing they were there. They represented care, safety... He was safe.

But he still felt confused, still felt like he was in a dream. How much of what he remembered was real? Did he make it back to Insomnia? Was he home? Was he in a hospital? Why did he still feel scared, a horrible feeling in his gut that someone was going to hurt him. He vaguely remembered waking up before - after the guards at the gate, before this... Yes, he wasn't just blissfully unaware between the gate and now... He'd woken up between, feeling lost, confused, scared, defensive... Someone had been trying to remove his clothing. He'd struggled, hit, kicked... He even screamed. He remembered screaming like a crazy person. They didn't forcibly rip his clothes away. They didn't pin him down and hurt him. But they might have injected him with something to calm him down. He did remember feeling really tired all of a sudden, and now this.

Was the the nurses and doctors? Had they been trying to get him into the hospital gown? Now that he thought about it, they had been using very gentle voices. They moved slowly, maybe tried to explain what they were doing. But Prompto wasn't hearing what they said. He didn't take into consideration that they were doctors, that they probably needed to see the scratches across his chest and had to move his shirt to do so. He just knew they wanted to take his clothes off, and he knew the only other times anyone had demanded that, it ended in pain and humiliation.

But he was okay now. He was dressed - in both the hospital gown and the underwear Ardyn had bought at the shop in Taelpar. He could feel it down there. No one had taken that... So no one saw the most private parts of him.

Squeezing back at the hand holding his, Prompto tried to pull his eyes open. He still felt so tired, and so confused. He was at the hospital, right? Who was holding his hand? For the past day or so, his protector and savior had been the same man who originally took him - Ardyn. Was Ardyn with him now? Prompto had felt so disoriented in the car. He remembered Ardyn sounding worried as he talked while he was helping Prompto get dressed. The man had said something about being concerned Verstael gave him too much of whatever drug he'd given him - like he should have been more awake by then, like his fever was maybe higher than before. Had Ardyn taken him to a hospital?

Prompto exhaled a tired breath, blinking his eyes open slowly, squeezing the hand gripping his and turning weakly toward its source. He swallowed as a blurry figure slowly came into focus. "Ardyn?" He whispered, his voice so tiny and weak he wasn't sure it could even be heard. "Wh-"

"Prompto?" It was Noctis's voice he heard now as the hand around his squeezed securely as the figure leaned closer. "You awake?"

"Noct?" Prompto blinked his eyes further, trying to wake himself up faster as his heart beat quickened. Was he home? He truly was home? Not with Ardyn… Not with Verstael, not in a lab or motel or the back seat of a stranger's car… He was home? Safe? For real?

"Yeah. Yeah, Prompto… It's me." Noctis squeezed his hand, placing his other on top. "I'm here with you. You're safe. You're gonna be okay…"

"Noct… is this real?" Prompto whimpered, blinking a few more times as his friend's face came into focus. "Are you really here? Am I home?"

"Yeah…" Noctis was quick to lean in, wrapping his arms around Prompto's shoulders, squeezing him into a warm, secure embrace. "I'm here… You're in the hospital… In Insomnia. You're home."

Prompto couldn't help the tiny, shaky sob that choked its way out of his throat. He wasn't sure he'd ever felt this degree of relief in his entire life. Even when Ardyn had told him he was taking him home, a part of Prompto's mind refused to believe it could be true. A part of him had been genuinely convinced he'd never see his friend again.

"Noct…" He whimpered, moving his arms shakily up to wrap around the prince's back and resting his cheek on his friend's shoulder.

"Yeah… It's me. I'm here." Noctis's voice shook slightly. It was clear the prince was close to tears too - maybe relieved, maybe angry with Prompto for going missing, for causing a big commotion, making everything all about him, causing Noctis so much worry.

Prompto inhaled a small breath, squeezing his eyes shut and hugging his friend tighter. "Please don't cry, Noct… Don't be sad… or mad… I'm sorry…"

"I'm not mad, Prom... What are you sorry for?" Noctis frowned, his hand moving up to the back of Prompto's head, holding him close.

"For being gone. For making you sad…" Prompto whimpered.

"I'm not sad." The prince shook his head. "Prompto, I'm not sad… Not even close. Don't be sorry. I'm happy. I'm so happy." Noctis hugged him closer. "I'm so happy you're safe. I'm relieved. Not sad... I was so worried, but you're back now… You're okay."

Inhaling a small, shaky breath, Prompto nodded silently.

"Where were you? What happened to you?" Noctis frowned, pulling back slightly so he could see his friend better.

Prompto swallowed. He was supposed to lie about this. He supposed he owed it to Ardyn, in a way… Ardyn did some pretty twisted, cruel things, but he ultimately had a change of heart and did the right thing. He didn't have to do that. He could have kept being awful. He could have hurt Prompto a lot - or let Verstael hurt him more.

Whether Ardyn deserved Prompto to keep his promise or not, Prompto sort of felt like he should, a little bit for Ardyn's sake - because Prompto said he would and he almost wanted to respect the promise for that alone… to give credit where credit was due... Ardyn largely caused this whole mess, but he also put a stop to it. He saved Prompto from Verstael, from the horrible monster that attacked him... He even gave the boy his coat for a while, continually adjusted both that and the sheet to protect his dignity when Prompto was too weak and disoriented to do it himself. Ardyn could have been a lot more cruel - he was a lot more cruel at first...

So Prompto wasn't going to tell Noct the whole thing - partially because he almost owed Ardyn some degree of thanks... And more largely because he was still a little worried Ardyn might find out if he told… and come back and do something - like he said he would. Whether Ardyn changed his mind about Prompto or not, Prompto still hadn't fully changed his mind about Ardyn. He was still scared of him.

"Prom…" Noctis frowned as he pulled further back out of the embrace, putting his hand against Prompto's cheek and staring into his eyes when Prompto hadn't answered after a long pause. "What happened? Where have you been all these days? You were gone the entire weekend, part of today... You've got huge scratches across your chest, bruises all over... Why are you so hurt? You're so scuffed up... What happened to you?"

Prompto inhaled a small breath and let it out, staring past Noctis at the door to the room. It was closed. Only he and Noct were in here. His friend was asking a lot of questions. Prompto hoped his answers sufficed, that Noct wouldn't get mad if there weren't as many details as he'd hoped. Prompto couldn't tell him everything.

Noctis frowned, putting his fingertips under Prompto's chin and furrowing his eyebrows as he tilted his friend's face up a bit. "Prompto... What happened?" He asked again.

Shaking his head, Prompto looked down. "I... I ran away…" He whispered.

"Why?" Noctis breathed. "You didn't take anything with you... Where did you go? What happened?"

Prompto shrugged. "I don't know…" He continued staring down, pulling himself up into a sitting position, feeling a small smile tugging at his lips when Noctis sat down on the bed in front of him, his legs crossed so that he could be close.

"Did your dad do something?" Noctis stared, putting his fingers lightly on Prompto's arm near his wrist, over dark, finger-shaped bruises there.

Noct knew Prompto's dad got pretty mad when he screwed up, that he'd hit him before. Prompto had told him. But Noctis also knew the really scary things - being hit with a belt or yelled at with such angry tones and words that he feared being seriously hurt - they weren't a constant fear looming over him. They were infrequent, and as long as Prompto didn't do something really dumb, he knew he wouldn't have to worry about being hit or screamed at. It hardly ever happened. Most days his parents ignored his existence. It was probably less than once a month that one of them got mad, grabbed him too hard, shoved him, screamed at him... And even less often that he'd actually get a formal punishment - like when his dad hit him with the belt. Those were reserved for things that really made his dad angry - not small things that would earn him a hand-shaped bruise on his arm or a quick slap against the cheek - which often didn't even leave a lasting mark - just redness for an hour...

"Prompto…" Noctis repeated. "Did your dad hurt you? Or… Did you screw up and get scared? Run away because you thought he'd be mad?"

"No…" Prompto shook his head. His dad could be harsh, but it could certainly have been a lot worse, clearly. His adoptive father really wasn't that bad. The violent things he had done were so few and far between. Prompto was mostly just ignored. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if they never even realized he was gone. Hopefully they wouldn't be mad about this - wouldn't punish him for running away, getting himself hurt, causing drama...

"Why did you run away then?" Noctis frowned, putting his fingertips on Prompto's chin, tilting his face back up so he could see him. "Prom, what happened? You can tell me. If it's a secret for some reason, maybe it can be our secret instead of just yours... I won't tell anyone."

Prompto shrugged again. "I just didn't feel important. Didn't feel wanted… M-my parents are never there. I didn't think they wanted me… I didn't think anyone wanted me in their life. No one wanted me here… so I ran away. M-maybe I was being dramatic… I just… I don't know… I was feeling… I just didn't know where to go… so I left. I just ran… I jogged and ended up at the edge of the city. I just snuck out and kept going..."

Prompto looked up into his friend's eyes, seeing tears shining there. He immediately felt guilt all over again. Obviously he hadn't really left on his own. He didn't really want to run away… but Noct didn't know that. Noctis thought Prompto ran not only from his family, but from him.

"I want you… In my life. Prom, I want you here." Noctis frowned, his voice small.

"I know." Prompto's lip trembled. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay… You're back now… Just… Don't ever feel like that, like you're not wanted… Because you are. I love you, Prom. You're my best friend." Noct's voice shook as tears shined in the prince's eyes.

Prompto nodded silently, feeling his throat tighten with tears. He didn't know what else to say. He hadn't ever considered that making it back home, having to explain all of this - that it would be so hard, so emotionally draining. He was finally home - what he'd wanted for days... but it was so stressful in this moment. He didn't want Noctis to be sad... He just wanted all of this to be put behind them, for them to get back to normal... but what had happened was a huge bump in the road. Of course Noct had questions. His parents might too - if they noticed he was gone. Surely the authorities would tell them... They were Prompto's guardians. They had to have been told... His teachers probably knew too. It was monday now... Was Prompto going to get in trouble at school too? He told Noct he ran away - that was no excuse to miss class...

"Prompto, what happened out there?" Noctis asked, obviously still not seeing that all the pieces to this story were in place. "What happened after you left the city."

Prompto shrugged and inhaled and exhaled a slow breath. "Can't we just... I'm back now, and I'm okay..." He forced a small laugh. "Do you wanna get ice cream after this? Do you think I can go now?" He looked toward the door.

Noctis shook his head. "No, Prom... They want you to stay overnight. You were dehydrated, disoriented... You've got bruises and claw marks on you..."

"Oh..." Prompto shrunk down. Maybe he looked a lot worse than he realized.

"You're all beaten up… And you were so sick before. They said you barely made it up to the gate, practically collapsed… Then you passed out while the gate guards were trying to talk to you…" Noctis noted, his brows furrowed. "And you had a pretty high fever… Was it from wandering in the desert for so long? Were you right outside the city? Lost? Did something attack you? You have claw marks across your chest... And you're so bruised up... like someone hit you... grabbed you really hard... What happened?" He wondered, clearly wanting more answers, needing to know where his friend had been, how he'd ended up so broken before finally finding his way back.

Shaking his head again, Prompto inhaled a breath. He'd rehearsed a story in his head about this, but he couldn't fully remember all the details at the moment. He didn't expect to feel so disoriented and nervous when he recited it… Now he couldn't remember the whole scenario he'd come up with. He was going to have to just wing it. "I- When I ran away, I didn't know really where I was going… I hitched a ride…" He whispered.

"Yeah…?" Noctis nodded, staring with furrowed brows. Obviously the prince was listening to the details, waiting to hear the explanation to why Prompto was covered in bruises. Noctis knew this story wasn't going to end well.

"The man who gave me a ride… He took me pretty far…" Prompto looked down. He had to explain the injuries. The man in this story represented Verstael mostly... Maybe a little of Ardyn too. He wasn't just going to be able to lie and tell Noctis that he fell down and hurt himself. He had clearly been hit, more than once. The bruises lining his arms were shaped like fingers. Some part of this story had to be true in order for anyone to believe it.

"What did he do?" Noctis whispered, his eyes wide and dark. "Prom…" he stared.

Swallowing, Prompto closed his eyes and inhaled. He couldn't get into the details. He couldn't admit all of it. Not to Noct… But he could tell him a short version, a mild version… Part of the truth. "I was with him for a few days… He started off just driving me. I just wanted to get far away, and he was willing to help me out. He was going far too, so he let me tag along… We camped out and a daemon tried to get me. That's what the claw marks are..."

"Geeze, Prompto... That must have been terrifying." Noct's eyes were wide. "Was it huge?"

Prompto shrugged. "Not really... but it was fast... Bigger than me, but not by much."

Noctis nodded. "I'm glad you got away, Prom. Daemons are no joke."

"Tell me about it." Prompto laughed.

"So then what happened?" Noctis frowned, his voice a little breathless, like he was literally scared to say what he said next. "You've got marks on your arms, Prom... Bruises... Like from someone's hands... The doctor said you've got them on your legs - dark ones, on your thighs, like someone was on top of you, holding you down."

Prompto inhaled a small breath and blinked his eyes. He wasn't sure how much of this he should tell Noct. If he told him the whole thing, even leaving out names... what would Noct think? Would he treat him differently? What Prompto had gone through was horrifying. He was probably going to have nightmares about it for a long time. If Noct knew, would he be scared to get close? Would he not want to have sleepovers anymore? Would he be scared to give Prompto a hug or joke around with him ever again?

Feeling tears in his eyes, Prompto breathed in another shaky breath, biting his lip. A large part of him wanted to tell Noct everything, to get it out of his head and into listening ears... He wanted Noctis to comfort him, to accept that it had happened, but also realize Prompto was still the same boy as before. That he was still Noct's silly best friend. Could Noct do that? Offer support and acceptance without treating Prompto like he was broken for the rest of his life? Prompto wasn't broken. He'd been hurt, but he wasn't broken.

"Prom... You can tell me." Noct whispered, reaching out and gripping the blonde boy's hands. "It can stay between us if you want..."

Prompto swallowed, looking up into his friend's eyes for a moment. Noct suspected it already. He wasn't stupid. Prompto had obvious finger-shaped bruises around his arms and wrists, horrible marks on his thighs... Even though some of it was actually from Ardyn holding him down with no intention of sexually assaulting him, the marks did line up with that. All signs pointed toward the truth. The truth that was begging to spill out of Prompto's mouth.

He could keep the names out of it, claim he didn't know who it was who hurt him, wrap Ardyn and Verstael into one character for the sake of explanation - claim the man he got a ride with was responsible for all of his injuries... But he wasn't sure he wanted to lie completely about what had happened. A part of him wanted to tell Noct the truth - that someone hurt him, in a horrible way... That he was scared and humiliated... He needed support, for someone who honestly loved and cared about him to promise him that he was okay now, that he wasn't any different than he was before... that things could go back to normal.

"Prom-" Noctis brought his attention back to the present. "Can you tell me?" He frowned.

Prompto gulped, but nodded. "Well... The man I was riding with..." He whispered, staring down at his lap. "We stopped at a motel and he tried to hurt me… "

Noctis inhaled a sharp breath, but didn't say anything for the moment.

At the sound of his friend's shocked inhale, Prompto looked back up, feeling his chest growing cold. Noct was going to be so angry to hear this. He wasn't going to ever look at Prompto the same ever again... Maybe he wouldn't even want to be Prompto's friend anymore. Maybe he wouldn't be able to look at Prompto without thinking about this... Maybe Noct couldn't handle it.

"He didn't... I mean..." Prompto hesitated, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"Prom..." Noctis put his hand on Prompto's wrist. "You can tell me..." He urged.

Shaking his head, Prompto stared down at his friend's hand, resting carefully on his arm. A part of him wanted to backtrack, to claim the guy only grabbed him, tried to assault him, didn't actually do it... But that wasn't helpful. That wouldn't help him deal with it. He needed someone to hear him, to understand that he was hurt, scared, embarrassed... to assure him that he was okay and that he had someone on his side. He could tell Noct. If anyone would be supportive, it'd be him.

"He did kinda hurt me..." Prompto whispered, not wanting to keep it to himself.

"What did he do?" Noctis whispered

Prompto kept his eyes closed. "Just... I took a shower and was only wearing a towel around my waist after... He pushed me onto the bed..." He started, pausing for a long few seconds. Noct didn't say a word, so Prompto continued. "He kinda grabbed at me, rubbed his hands on me... and made me kiss him, and like... he was gonna... You know... Like... sex? Down there." He nodded downward. "He was gonna do that... He was going to make me have sex with him."

"Are you okay?" Noctis whispered, his voice tiny, nervous.

"Yeah." Prompto nodded, still refusing to open his eyes. "He used his fingers first. Th-that's all he did... J-just two fingers for most of it... H-he said to get me ready for the other thing." Prompto explained, his eyes still closed. He couldn't bring himself to look at Noct while he explained this. "It hurt, and I was scared... I didn't know what to do. I couldn't do anything... And then was gonna use his um... You know... He kinda put it down there and started pushing it in... But he didn't get that far. He didn't do the real thing. I d- I don't think it would fit... He was getting mad..."

"Prompto..." Noctis whispered.

"He didn't do it. I got away..." Prompto breathed, suddenly second-guessing saying this much. Did he really have to tell Noct all that? He said so much... His original plan was to say the guy he got a ride from mugged him... Attacked him, stole his money, beat him up when Prompto fought back... Why did Prompto say all of that? About the fingers, the forced kiss... The other thing that almost happened - that started to happen... Why did he tell him? He needed to get off the topic, to brush it off. He didn't want to say anything else about it. He shouldn't have said what he did say...

Noct was shaking his head slightly when Prompto looked back up. The prince's eyes were huge. He looked almost disgusted.

"He didn't do it." Prompto said again, feeling his breaths increasing. Was Noctis disgusted by the situation? Did he think Prompto was disgusting now? Noctis was going to abandon him for this. He had enough to worry about in his life without adding Prompto's stupid trauma on top of it. He wasn't going to want to be friends anymore...

"Prompto..." Noctis spoke again, clearly unsure of what else to say.

Prompto bit his lower lip, feeling tears stinging his eyes. What would he do if his best friend wasn't able to handle this? What if he lost his friend too, after all of this? How could he even go on living? Noct was all he had left. He had to make this better, to undo the damage his words had just done. "Noct... I'm alright... He didn't do it. He was going to, but he didn't. It was embarrassing, but it's over and I'm not hurt..." Prompto breathed, his words shaky. "I'm still me, and I won't act weird or anything... I can- I can just forget it happened. Pretend I didn't say anything, okay? It wasn't a big deal..."

"Yes it is, Prom... It is a big deal. A huge deal. He's not gonna get away with this. Who was it? They should go to prison..." Noctis glared.

Prompto shook his head. "He's gone... A different guy heard me scream I think… and saved me… It's all over... S-so we can move on..." He whispered. He just wanted things to go back to normal. He wanted support. He wanted Noct ti be reassuring and comforting... but he didn't want to scare the prince away, to burden his friend with such a heavy, traumatic story. "It's over..." Prompto whispered again. "I'm okay. Let's just go back to normal..."

"Prompto... I'm so sorry..." Noct had tears in his eyes.

Inhaling and exhaling a few calming breaths, Prompto swallowed, looking down at his lap. He couldn't look at Noctis right now. He wasn't going to be able to take it if Noct couldn't handle this. "Are we still friends?" Prompto whispered, his voice so small he could barely hear himself.

Noctis paused, maybe thinking about the question, maybe trying to come up with a way to let Prompto down easily - to tell him he couldn't handle being around him anymore, but that he was at least sorry about the whole thing, sympathetic, but not wanting to deal with it.

"Prompto..." Noctis spoke, putting his fingers under Prompto's chin and tilting the younger boy's face up so he could see him. "Of course we're still friends." He stared. "Why would you ask me that?"

Prompto looked down, his lip trembling. "Just... This..." He hesitated, unsure how to articulate his fears.

"We're still friends." Noctis reassured him. "Forever... I'm not going anywhere, Prom. I'm here for you..."

Prompto exhaled a relieved, yet short breath. "Good..." He breathed. "I don't want to be different now. I still wanna be me, and I still wanna do the things we used to do... Thanks, Noct."

"You're still you. We'll do everything we did before. Nothing's changed. I'm sorry you had to go through that." Noctis went on.

"It's okay." Prompto breathed, putting his hand lightly on Noctis's arm. "I'm alright... The guy's gone. He's dead... The other man literally killed him... Stabbed him in the back while he was on top of me."

"Oh my god." Noctis breathed, staring back at his friend like Prompto was a daemon. "You must have been so scared..."

"More scared before the other man killed him than after." Prompto forced a laugh. "I was fuckin' relieved when the other man stabbed him, to be honest. The guy who saved me... He brought me back most of the way… Then I walked the rest…" Prompto breathed, his voice shaking. He was so nervous. "That was… maybe why I was so disoriented and feverish… I walked a little bit and it was hot…"

"Are you okay?" Noctis stared.

"Yeah… Now I am…" Prompto forced a small smile, reaching out toward his friend again and letting the other boy wrap him up in another hug. "I don't feel so sick now… I think the fever's gone… I think I'm alright."

Noctis shook his head. "No... I mean the man at the motel… He attacked you... What you said... Prom, you must have been terrified... Are you hurt from that? Did he hurt you? Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, Noct. The other guy saved me… He made the first man stop… He didn't hurt me too much. The other man stopped him." Prompto explained. He didn't want to go into any more detail than he already had, and really, the worst thing that could have happened didn't… The fingers felt more awkward than painful, and when he started using his penis - yeah, it was really beginning to hurt. He could tell in that moment that Verstael was really, really going to injure him... But Ardyn had stopped him before he could. He had no physical injuries from the whole thing. Just emotional ones...

The way he described it just now was short... He made it sound like it all happened within the span of a minute. But reality was different. Ardyn didn't save him right away… Verstael had groped him, touched him, forced his fingers inside him. He started forcing his penis in, choking Prompto while he did it, enjoying Prompto's body's response when he flinched from being unable to breathe…

The incident wasn't just a tiny scary moment. It had lasted a while... It was an assault… A scary one…Two actually… Maybe even three if the horrifying medical exam counted. Just because it was disguised as medical didn't mean that's what it was. Verstael had forced a cotton swab into his anus, shoved his fingers in Prompto's mouth forced him to lay strapped down to the table with his clothes gone, with his underwear down around his thighs, completely exposed in the cold air of the lab - things that were completely unnecessary, scary, creepy, uncomfortable... Long, terrifying moments that were going to stick in Prompto's mind forever… But he was okay now. He was going to be able to live with it, to move on.

"You know it wasn't your fault, right?" Noctis frowned. "Even if you ran away on purpose, accepted the ride... Even if you got scared and didn't fight back while he hurt you. None of it was your fault."

Prompto nodded. "Yeah..." He whispered.

"I think you should tell the doctor... so he can make sure you're not hurt." Noctis suggested.

Prompto shook his head no. No fucking way. He'd had enough people see him without his clothes, get way too close to personal, private parts of his body. He wasn't willingly letting anyone else near him. Not without his clothes on.

"I can come with you-" Noct started.

"No. I'm fine. I promise. Like I said, he just used his fingers... It was kind of uncomfortable, but I'm not hurt. I don't need the doctor... I just need you." Prompto's voice trembled. "I don't want anyone looking at me down there... I just need you to be supportive. That's all..."

"Of course." Noctis stared. "Prom, I'll always support you. No matter what. You know that."

"Just don't treat me different..." Prompto whispered. "I want to do fun stuff like before - I wanna go back to normal... This isn't gonna change me. I'm no different than I was before... This is something that happened to me, but it's not something I wanna dwell on. It happened, and it's over, and I'm the same person as before. I still like french fries and video games and taking funny pictures... I just want to go back to how it was. Promise me I'm still myself Noct... I'm no different. I'm still me. I'm not a different person... I'm the same as before. I'm still me..."

"Yeah..." Noctis nodded, his voice small as he put his hands on Prompto's arms. "Of course you're still you... What that man did to you was horrible, but you're still the same person you always were. You've got my support, Prom. Always. We'll still do fun stuff like before. You're still my best friend. Nothing's changed."

Prompto nodded, unable to get himself to look up at the moment.

"You don't have to let the doctor see... Just promise you will if anything starts to hurt... if you're bleeding or anything... If anything starts to feel wrong... Promise me, Prom..." Noctis frowned.

Prompto bit his lip and looked up. Noct's hands were still on his arms and the prince was staring at him with worry in his features. "Okay." He agreed, unsure if he really would let a doctor look at him in that case or not. Fortunately he felt pretty normal down there. Verstael really hadn't physically hurt him much. It was terrifying, a little painful in the moment, but no obvious lasting damage.

"Did he drug you?" Noctis frowned.

"What?" Prompto felt his eyes widen as he inhaled a small breath. How did Noctis know that?

"The doctor said your blood work showed a pretty strong sedative, but it was something not even available here in Insomnia… Something he hadn't seen before." Noctis frowned. "The guy who tried to hurt you… Did he give you something? Like in your drink or something?"

"Oh…" Prompto frowned. "Um… Yeah… He injected me with something… and that's why I was still so disoriented and sick, I think…"

"I thought you were sick from the desert?" Noctis frowned.

"Um… That too… maybe… I don't know, Noct. It was a really hectic, scary couple days… I don't know… B-but I think I'm gonna be okay now. That's what matters, right?" Prompto inhaled a small breath, staring nervously, genuinely worried that Noctis was noticing holes in his story already, that he was going to figure it all out and be angry with Prompto for lying… Maybe he'd demand the truth, find out somehow… Then Ardyn would come back and find him, beat him up, kill him maybe...

Noctis exhaled, closing his eyes and pulling Prompto back into a hug. "I'm sure it was awful… Don't worry about the details. You're back now. You're safe. That's what matters. You're right. We can talk about details later. You're back, you're safe... That's all I care about for now. I'm just so glad you're okay…"

"Yeah." Prompto whispered. "Me too. Everything's fine now..."

Noctis frowned. "I'm so sorry all that happened… That you felt like you had to run away… That that man hurt you... I'll try to be a better friend, Prom."

Prompto inhaled a small gasp. "Noct… It wasn't anything you did. I promise. You are a good friend. The best friend… The only friend I've ever known… You're perfect."

"So are you." Noctis laughed softly, hugging Prompto closer. "I know you don't always feel like you are, Prom, but you are. You're perfect. You're wanted."

"Thanks, Noct." Prompto smiled, closing his eyes and letting himself relax in his friend's arms. In this moment, he truly did feel like Noctis's words were true. Prompto didn't have the best family. His real family was a mess, his adoptive ones didn't really want him… But he'd made his own tiny little family by making even just one friend, a really good friend. Noct didn't hit him if he got mad, if Prompto did something dumb. Noct didn't judge him and hate him for doing things wrong or making mistakes...

Prompto would never have a father and mother who loved him, took care of him, taught him everything about the world. That wasn't going to happen for him… But he had a brother. A brother he found out in the world, on his own. He had Noct, who loved him back, who wanted him around… who would always protect and care about him.

He didn't need anything more than that.

xxxxxx


	20. Chapter 20

xxxxxx

Chapter 20

xxxxxx

Noctis frowned as he looked down at his best friend, curled silently up against him. Prompto was dressed only in a thin hospital gown, but appeared rather cozy anyway. Besides for one arm and hand, which he had hugged against Noctis's waist, he was wrapped rather snugly in the sheets and blanket from the bed, with Noctis's arm around his shoulders. As the younger boy fell asleep, his grip around a fist-full of Noct's shirt had loosened, but he still kept his arm there, with his head resting against the prince's chest.

The blonde boy seemed completely and utterly exhausted. He'd been gone for days, and though Noctis was mostly just immensely relieved that his friend was back, that he was alive and semi-well, he couldn't help but to notice Prompto's story didn't fully add up. There seemed to be a lot left unsaid. Things that didn't line up, things that went unexplained...

Noctis closed his eyes and exhaled. He couldn't understand why his friend would have just run away like that. Why he'd put himself into such a dangerous situation. Obviously leaving the city on his own was a bad idea. He had no car - couldn't drive even if he did have one... No money, no experience living on his own out in the wild... Everyone knew daemons prowled around after dark outside the city... And he wanted Noctis to believe he'd go out into the world anyway just because he didn't feel wanted at home?

Blinking his eyes back open, Noctis stared down at his friend's face again, smiling slightly as he took note of the boy's numerous freckles, his eyelashes resting softly on his cheeks. Even with the bruises on his cheek, the cut and bruise on his forehead, with his hair messy, uncombed... He was beautiful, precious... the best friend Noctis had ever known. Prompto didn't treat him like a prince. He treated him like a friend. No one else did that.

Prompto's breaths were slow and even, calm... A stark contrast to the bruises lining his limbs, the mark on his cheek and forehead. Noctis couldn't get out of his head the things his friend had told him, about the man who had hurt him. Prompto was only fifteen years old. He was somewhat skinny, not overly muscular. He jogged a lot to stay fit, but didn't lift weights or box or practice any physical combat. He wasn't built to fight off some creepy adult man...

Noctis frowned as he stared down at his friend, at the bruises. The ones on his arms were so clearly from someone's hands holding him down. He even had similar marks on his neck... and the boy had admitted to having been drugged. Even if he weren't already physically outmatched, if he was drugged, he wouldn't have been able to even try to defend himself... Prompto must have been so scared.

Noctis looked down at him with narrowed eyes and a pout on his lips. He wished he could have been there to protect his friend, or even just to have taken some of the pain away for him. Noctis would have gladly offered himself up to save Prompto from any amount of the pain and fear he'd undoubtedly suffered while he was gone. The boy was so innocent, so sweet. He was the last person on earth who deserved something like that to happen to him.

Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Noctis inhaled another breath, trying to release a bit of anger and frustration with the situation. He just couldn't understand why Prompto would have run away. He had expressed before that he didn't feel noticed or wanted at home. It wasn't a new problem for the boy... So why had he run away now? What was different about Friday evening or Saturday morning?

Noctis had last seen his friend on Friday after school. They had had dinner at a fast food place and played video games at the arcade until pretty late. Then Prompto went home and Noct went home. Noctis didn't know he was gone until halfway through the next day. Noctis had slept in - as he always did on Saturdays, then called Prompto's phone at about 1pm. When the blonde boy didn't ever get back to him after a few hours and some concerned followup texts, Noct had gone over to his house to find that he wasn't there.

His parents weren't there either - but the door was unlocked, so Noct had gone in on his own and inspected the house. Prompto's bed looked a little messy, but that wasn't necessarily cause for concern by itself. What was concerning though was that he'd left his shoes and his camera behind. He didn't take his school bag, his phone, his wallet. Didn't seem to have taken anything. Noctis had assumed his friend may have been kidnapped... But Prompto said he wasn't - that he ran away...

Maybe he'd run away in a hurry. Maybe some of the marks on him weren't from the man he'd described. Maybe his dad or mom hurt him. Maybe he ran away from home so quickly he couldn't stop to get his camera or shoes, because he was afraid of his parents.

Noctis stuck out his lower lip in a pout and brushed some of Prompto's hair out of his eyes. Prompto let out a small breath and a tiny noise that almost sounded distressed as he flinched slightly under his friend's touch.

"Sorry..." Noctis whispered, moving his hand back down over Prompto's chest.

It had to have either been Prompto running away quickly out of fear, or someone taking him... Regardless of what Prompto said - those were the only scenarios that made sense. Why would he run away from home without his shoes? And surely he'd have taken a bag with some clothing, his camera... He just left out of nowhere, so abruptly, after Noct and he had a great time that evening. Noctis couldn't believe that he'd just run away without warning after that.

Maybe his dad hit him again. Maybe he hit harder than usual... Or maybe the story about the stranger hurting him was only half true... Maybe his dad had done it.

Noctis inhaled a small breath as he stared with widened eyes down at his friend. He couldn't let Prompto go back to them if that was the case. It was bad enough ignoring the other things. Prompto had begged him not to make a big deal out of the times his dad beat him with a belt. He promised it wasn't a big deal when he had a hand shaped bruise on his wrist one day, or the time Noctis had come over to visit without calling and heard Prompto's mom full-on screaming at him.

Had they escalated even further? That would explain why Prompto would run away out of nowhere without even so much as his shoes. If his father turned to sexual abuse? Prompto would have been terrified. Of course he'd have run off without wasting any time to gather supplies.

Prompto let out another soft whimper and flinched under Noctis's hands, reaching toward Noct's arm and shoving it weakly.

Noctis grimaced, moving his hand away from Prompto's chest. Maybe he was having a dream.

Prompto choked out another tiny noise, fumbling with an uncoordinated hand toward his neck, like he was trying to pull some invisible restraint away from his throat.

"Prom... You're okay..." Noctis whispered, reaching carefully toward his friend's hand.

Another shaky cry choked its way out of Prompto's mouth as tears started streaming down his cheeks.

Noctis exhaled a soft breath, turning toward his friend in the hospital bed and putting a hand on each of his arms. "Hey... Prompto, you're having a nightmare... Wake up..." He urged.

Suddenly, Prompto let out a rather shrill scream, pulling away from Noctis and crawling backwards on the bed.

Noctis winced, reaching toward his friend, grabbing his arms so he wouldn't crawl right over the edge. "Prompto! Wake up! You're okay! You're with me!"

"No!" Prompto sobbed, blinking his eyes open as he reached toward Noct's hands, grabbing toward his friend's fingers and desperately trying to pry them off of his arms. "Get off of me! Let me go!" He cried, looking up and blinking a few more times as a look of relief and realization washed over his features. "Noct?" He whispered, tears shining in his eyes as his lower lip trembled.

"Yeah. Prom... It's just me... You're okay..." Noctis whispered, allowing Prompto to sink into his arms as the younger boy let out a small, shaky whimper. "It's just me and you in here. No one else. You're safe. No one's gonna hurt you."

"Noct... Don't let go..." Prompto whimpered, his voice shaking with tears.

"I won't." Noctis promised, his voice small. He didn't know how to deal with this. He wasn't used to any of his friends needing this degree of comfort and reassurance. "I'm right here, Prom. I'm staying right here. No matter what, okay?"

Prompto shook his head and sobbed, grabbing toward the front of Noctis's shirt. "I couldn't breathe..." He whimpered. "I was so cold..."

Noctis stared down at the top of Prompto's head as he hugged the boy close, running one hand up and down over his friend's back. Prompto was trembling slightly now.

"It was so long ago... I was so cold... I hated it. I just wanted a real family... Everything was so cold, so clinical... I- I don't remember..." Prompto whispered, his voice still shaky as he shrunk down futher, hugging his arms around Noctis's stomach. "I was alone. I was always alone, and so cold, and... I can't... I don't remember..." He said again.

"Don't remember what?" Noctis frowned. None of this sounded like it was in response to the other thing Prompto had told him about. The man attacking him. He wouldn't have been alone then... What was he talking about?

"The cold water... The la-" Prompto pulled back a bit and blinked a few times... "N-nothing..." He whispered, looking down again.

"Prompto... What is it?" Noctis asked.

Prompto shook his head, staring downward and growing more tense as his shoulders trembled.

"Okay..." Noctis nodded. Clearly Prompto was holding back, not wanting to tell Noctis everything that was on his mind, but that was okay. As he'd said before, the important thing was that he was home. He was safe now. Noctis could be a better friend, make sure he always felt wanted... and look after him. No one would ever hurt him again. Not if Noct had anything to say about it.

"I wish I was born into your family..." Prompto whispered. "But I wasn't. I was born in..." He paused, blinking a few times before continuing with obvious hesitation. "I... My family- It's just... I don't know, Noct... I don't want to talk about it..."

"Maybe you can tell me later." The prince suggested. "I'll always support you, no matter what, Prom. No matter what your secrets are, whether you share them with me or keep them to yourself. You can tell me. Only if you want to... You don't have to tell me anything you don't want. Okay? No matter what it is, you're still my best friend. Whether you tell me more not."

Prompto sniffed and nodded. "Thanks Noct..." He whispered.

"No problem." Noctis hugged Prompto tighter. "You okay?" He asked.

Prompto shook his head no, resting his cheek against Noct's chest.

"Do you want to talk about it Prom?" Noctis wondered. "Your dream?"

Prompto paused for a moment. "I dunno." He finally whispered. "It wasn't real..." His voice was still shaking. "Noct, it wasn't real... I'm not there. I'm not with him. I won't ever be with him ever again. I'm here now..." His voice shook more and tears collected in his eyes, very close to falling. "I'm alright now. I'm with you..."

"Yeah..." Noctis agreed. "You've got me here, and I'm not going anywhere. I won't let anything happen to you." He promised.

"Noct..." Prompto breathed. "I was so scared..."

"I know..." Noctis frowned, hugging his friend securely, carefully resting his hand against the back of Prompto's head. "You're safe. Everything that happened to you is over. I know it was scary, and you can talk to me about it. Any time... But you're safe now. It won't happen again. I promise..."

"It was the worst thing that's ever happened to me, Noct. I felt so powerless... So humiliated." Prompto choked. It was clear he was seconds from crying. "I begged him to stop. He wasn't going to stop. He wasn't ever gonna let me go."

Noctis closed his eyes, leaning down so that his cheek rested on Prompto's hair. He felt tears in his eyes and his throat growing tight. He honestly had no idea what to say to his friend. Prompto was quite clearly devastated by what had happened, and of course he was. The story he'd told Noct was horrible. Noctis wanted to fix this, to take away every bit of pain Prompto had, to erase the memories and bruises... but he couldn't. He couldn't fix this. There was no way to do it.

"He laughed at me... He was choking me and he thought it was funny..." Prompto whimpered. "He made me kiss him. I bit his tongue and he hit me. He put his hands all over me and choked me and I couldn't breathe. I wanted to pass out, because I didn't want to be there for it... I tried to think of something else, but I couldn't. I kept coming back to what he was doing."

Shaking his head, Noctis exhaled. "He was wrong to do that to you, Prom..."

"I know... But I should have tried harder to get away. I should have kept the doors locked." Prompto frowned. "I was so scared. I could have tried harder to get away before it was too late, but I was so scared of what he'd do..."

"It's his fault. Not yours. You know that, right?" Noctis frowned. "No matter how you ended up there, no matter if you were too scared to do as much as you think you could have... No matter if you weren't careful, left doors unlocked... whatever... no matter what... It's not your fault. Don't put that weight on yourself, Prom. You were terrified. Maybe he'd have hurt you worse or killed you if you fought back harder. You can't know... But he was the one who chose to do something cruel. It was his fault. Not yours."

"I know. I realize that, Noct... I just wish... Looking back, there's things I could have done differently if I'd known. And I know that's not helpful. I couldn't have known. I did my best to keep myself safe with what I knew, what I didn't know..." Prompto breathed.

"It's not your fault. No matter what. Not even a little." Noctis repeated.

Prompto nodded, leaning closer against Noctis and remaining silent for a few minutes before finally whispering in a tiny voice. "I didn't want it..." He sniffed. "He said I wanted it... That I didn't realize it, but my body wanted it... I didn't want it, Noct."

"Of course you didn't." Noctis whispered.

"I wanted to die. I wanted to pass out, and if I couldn't pass out, I wanted to just die." Prompto spoke, his voice tiny, shaking. "I thought I'd never see you again, that he'd take me with him and it wouldn't ever end. He said he was going to take me home with him, and that we'd do stuff like that over and over. I wanted to die."

Noctis bit his lower lip to keep himself from choking out a sob of his own. He couldn't break down. Prompto needed him right now. "I'm glad you didn't, Prom. I'm glad you made it home. I couldn't stand to never get to see you again. You're safe now. It's over." He whispered, his voice shaking slightly.

"I know." Prompto whispered back. "Thanks, Noct. I'm glad I'm back. I'm so glad you're here. I don't think my parents are coming..." He frowned.

Noctis shook his head. Prompto's parents, as usual, were 'busy.' As far as Noctis knew, no one had even told them Prompto was gone or that he'd been found. Noctis sure as hell hadn't. He didn't even know how to get in contact with them. Had they even been home? Would they have noticed their son wasn't there?

"It's okay that they aren't coming though." Prompto went on. "I'd rather have you here. I don't want to tell them what happened. I don't want to tell anyone but you."

"Alright." Noctis nodded.

"Don't tell anyone else, Noct." Prompto breathed, settling down against Noctis's chest and closing his eyes. "Don't tell Gladio or Ignis. It's really embarrassing. I don't want them to look at me weird or treat me different."

"They wouldn't." Noctis frowned.

"Just don't tell them. Please?" Prompto pouted.

"Okay. I won't. It's your story to tell, or not tell. It's up to you." Noctis nodded, hugging Prompto closer against his chest.

For a moment, the two sat in a silent embrace. The only sound in the room was an occasional sniffle as Prompto fought back his tears, and slow, measured breaths from Noctis who was trying his best to keep his tears at bay as well.

Prompto shifted slightly, sniffing back tears. "Noct?" He whispered.

"Yeah?" Noctis responded.

"If..." Prompto hesitated. "If I wasn't from here... If I was from somewhere else, and I wasn't really from Insomnia, and my parents adopted me... If I was from somewhere that doesn't really have a good relationship with Lucis... What would you do?"

Noctis frowned. Was that it? Did his parents tell him he was adopted, that he was from somewhere that Lucis was on bad terms with? He got scared he'd be in trouble for it? Would he really run away because of something like that?

"It wouldn't matter, Prom..." Noctis answered, still hugging Prompto securely, running a hand gently up and down his arm. "You're still Prompto. No matter what. It doesn't matter where you're from... You're here now, and you're my best friend."

Prompto let out a small laugh, shaking his head slightly. "Even if I was from somewhere like Niflheim?"

Noctis shook his head. "You're still you. You're my friend... You can't control where you were born, and it's only a place... Being born there doesn't make you into anything different than if you were born here. You're you... Is that why you ran away? Are you from there? Did your mom and dad tell you that?"

"No." Prompto whispered. "I mean... Yes... I am from there... But my mom and dad didn't tell me... Someone else did... B-but I can't say more..." He pulled back out of the embrace, looking at Noctis with huge eyes. "I shouldn't have said that... D-don't ask me to say more. Please don't ask..."

"Okay..." Noctis stared back. "I won't... I'm always here if you want to talk, but I won't make you."

Prompto looked nervous as he looked back up at Noctis. "They're not really my parents... And when I left Insomnia, I was... kinda looking for answers about where I was from... It's kinda complicated, I guess... but I'm not really from here..."

"It doesn't matter." Noctis repeated. "You could be from outer space... It seems like you are sometimes." He forced a small laugh.

Prompto laughed as well. "Or even if I got hatched from an egg at the bottom of some cold dark cave?"

"I'd like you even more." Noctis smirked. "You did hatch from an egg, didn't you? Like a chocobo? It'd explain the hair."

Prompto faked a pout. "It doesn't look like a chocobo butt!" He laughed.

"Of course not." Noctis smirked, but quickly remembered he still wanted answers about Prompto's parents. He needed to know his friend was safe with them, that he wasn't going to go home and get hurt. "Prom..." Noctis hesitated. "Did your mom or dad do something? Did you leave because you were scared of them?"

"No..." Prompto answered, looking down, then inhaling a small breath as his eyes widened and he looked back up.

"What?" Noctis stared back.

Prompto's lower lip was trembling as tears were welling up in his eyes. "He's gonna be mad that I left... Noct... He's gonna be mad... Oh my god..." Prompto looked across the room toward the door. "He didn't do anything... Th-that's not why I left... But he's gonna be so mad that I ran away... I've never done something this big... This dumb... Running away with no warning? Just leaving? Making a huge scene and getting everyone all worried... Noct, he's gonna be so mad..."

Noctis shook his head. "You don't have to be scared of him, Prom. I won't let him hit you... You don't have to go back there."

Prompto choked out a small sob, shaking his head. "Yes I do... I have nowhere else to go... I can't just leave... They're my parents, whether they're biologically my parents or not... They're not gonna just let me leave..."

Noctis exhaled and closed his eyes. "I'll talk to my dad. You can stay with us. Forever if you want. You don't have to keep putting up with this. You're not supposed to be afraid of your parents, afraid to go home..."

Prompto sniffed and shook his head, looking away. "I can't... They're not gonna just let me, and if I try to leave, and your dad says I can stay there, they're gonna know I said something, and they're gonna be mad... I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. Last time my dad hit me, he told me to shut up about it - to never tell anyone or I'd be in a lot worse trouble. Noct, if I tell and they find out, he's probably gonna really hurt me..."

"You don't think the king of Lucis will be able to keep you safe, Prom? If my dad says you can leave their house, you can. He'll even send someone to collect your things. You never have to go back again if you don't want to." Noctis explained.

"Really?" Prompto whispered.

"Really..." Noctis nodded. "They won't dare try to challenge him. I'll bet they won't say a word after Dad sends them a formal letter explaining. They'll probably never try to contact you or anything. They'll be scared to. The actual king is going to order them to leave you alone. They will."

"Yeah..." Prompto laughed breathlessly and looked down. "I'm probably not worth enough for them to even try to keep me... Kinda sad really... You're probably right. They might literally never say a word to me about it."

"It's their loss, Prom." Noctis forced a small smile.

"Yeah." Prompto laughed nervously. "They might still not know I was gone... You think your dad would notice if I went missing for a whole weekend?"

"Of course he would. He's busy, but he'd notice..." Noctis assured him. "We might not have frequent family dinners and stuff, but he's a caring man, and that'll extend to you. He knows how important you are to me."

"I am?" Prompto looked away as though embarrassed.

"Of course you are." Noctis frowned. "And you'll be important to my dad. It'll be like you're a prince too... Just not a crown prince. You'll get the life without the responsibility." Noctis noted with a shrug. "The best of both worlds."

Prompto let out a small laugh, wiping tears off his cheeks. "That sounds pretty cool, to be honest... I get to be a prince but I never have to do anything important?"

"Yeah." Noctis nodded. "You can just do the fun stuff. My dad will probably make do your homework though... When I slacked off, he hired a tutor to kinda force me to do it... He'll probably do the same to you."

Prompto smiled. "That wouldn't be so bad. Might be nice for someone to care about my grades."

Noctis shrugged. "Sure, because the gods know you don't care about 'em."

Prompto chuckled. "You got me there."

"And when we're not busy mastering high school..." Noctis added. "We can stay up playing video games every single night!"

Prompto laughed, laying his head against Noct's shoulder. "We could be like brothers... We could be a family."

"Yeah." Noctis agreed. "Then you can train with Gladio, like I do."

Prompto shook his head and let out a breathless laugh. "I don't know about that... The guy's the size of a mountain... He'll kill me."

"No he won't." Noctis assured him. "He'll hold back until you've trained a bit. He wouldn't just beat you up. He'd understand you haven't trained much before. He may look like a tank, but he's actually pretty cool. And he thinks you're hilarious."

"He does?" Prompto narrowed his eyes. "I always thought he was really annoyed by me."

"No." Noctis shook his head. "He's annoyed by me. He thinks you're adorable. He'd definitely go easy on you to start, Prom. He'd probably legit cry if he accidentally hurt you."

Prompto shook his head, laughing. "You're an idiot, Noct. He would not."

"Sure he would. I've experienced how he acts when he's talking to me, versus when he's talking to you... He treats you about the same as he treats his little sister..." Noctis shrugged. It was true. Gladio could be such a dick to Noctis sometimes. Any time Prompto was around the guy was like a different person. He was always careful about Prompto. He knew the younger boy wasn't trained in fighting.

"Hmmm..." Prompto frowned. "Not sure if I should be offended by that..." He laughed.

"I wouldn't be. Gladio's not patient with just anyone... So he'd probably be able to teach you a lot about fighting." Noctis noted.

Prompto shook his head again. "I don't know, Noct... I'll think about it, I guess... But I'd be more into Ignis cooking for me than Gladio kicking my ass. Do you think we could do that instead?"

Noctis couldn't help but to laugh. "I'm sure that could be arranged."

Prompto exhaled and closed his eyes again, resting his head against Noct's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here, Noct. I'm glad I have you."

"I'm glad too, Prom." Noct agreed. "I always wanted a brother."

"Me too." Prompto breathed, wrapping his arm around Noct's, gripping his hand. "Stay here with me until I can go home?" He requested.

"Of course." Noctis nodded. "You still tired?"

Prompto yawned and nodded. "Never been so tired in my life."

"You've been through a lot." Noctis noted. "Try to get some sleep, Prom. I'll talk to my dad. We'll get you a room ready... You won't ever have to worry about not having a family, or anyone hitting you when you do something dumb... Won't happen."

"That'd be cool, Noct." Prompto smiled. "Thanks for being here for me. Not sure my parents even know yet that I was gone."

Noctis frowned, hugging Prompto closer against his side. His friend deserved so much better. Prompto wasn't even exaggerating. If Noctis found out that the boy's parents hadn't ever noticed he was gone, Noct wouldn't have been surprised.

"Won't be like that anymore, Prom." Noctis promised.

"I know." Prompto spoke, his voice tired and small. "You're the best, Noct."

Noctis smiled. "So are you, Prom."

xxxxxx

THE END

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End file.
